Hope Springs
by justginger
Summary: Bella Swan has been alone for most of her life, she is young and she is scared, but now she has another life to protect. She is heading for a new country - a new life and then she ends up in HOPE SPRINGS. Will she run, or will she allow the people in
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**Author's Note: Before we begin this story, I would just like to say a few things. As far as I am aware, there is no town called **_Hope Springs in Vermont_**, but we all know the type of town that I am writing about. I have to admit though that I sort of fashioned it on the fictional town of Stars Hollow, from the Gilmour Girls – one of my all time favorite shows! I will give you a list of characters, ages and their position in the small community and relationship to the Cullen's.**_

_**I hope that you enjoy my new story. Now there won't be any BDSM (sorry!) in this story, but you all know me – lots of loving, and sexing, it is rated M for a very good reason. So yeah, we will get down and dirty – I promise you!**_

_**Love and hugs,**_

_**Michele (peoplelikeus/justginger)**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

"Where would you go if you are trying to start a new life but you had nowhere to go and no one to care? Bella Swan has been alone for most of her life, she is young and she is scared, but now she has another life to protect. She is heading for a new country - a new life and then she ends up in HOPE SPRINGS. Her life intertwines with all the eccentric characters in this little piece of heaven in **Vermont** and just like that - she will never be the same. She meets the Sherriff, the truck driver, the semi-retired doctor, the lawyer, the farmer, and the new best friends, but it is the new young doctor in town that turns her life upside down. Is he as stuck up as he seems or does he have a wild side? Is Bella as tough and as jaded as she seems? Will she run, or will she allow the people in this town to teach her to hope, to dream, and to love?"

**CHAPTER 1 – MEET BELLA 'VAN'**

"What the fuck?" The dark haired girl growled as she swung the smoking and battered Beatle into the truck stop and slammed the brakes, causing dust to billow out around the rust mottled faded yellow car.

She climbed out of her car and slammed the door and then she hopped out of the way so that it didn't swing back as it bounced off the frame and flew back at her.

Bella looked up at the sky before she stared at the black smoke coming out of the back of the car. "Fuck you! Fuck this shit!" She could feel angry, frustrated tears burning her eyes and she stared at the ground for a long moment, she was not going to cry like some fucking baby! _Grow the fuck up Bella and act like a fucking adult, for once in your fucked up life!_

She ignored the tiny voice that told her that she wasn't an adult – not really and that she should be going to school, eating breakfast with her mother and father, having fun with her friends.

But there was no school; there was no home, no parents and no friends. Bella Swan was alone – just as she had been since she had become a ward of the State of Arizona at the age of four.

She shook her head and kicked the tire of the only thing that her father had ever given her.

Six months before Bella turned eighteen, about two weeks before Christmas, a social worker had come to see her to tell her that her late father, Police Chief Charles Basil Swan had left her an 'inheritance' and she was eligible to receive it on her eighteenth birthday. She also told Bella that she would no longer be a ward of the State of Arizona and that she would need to 'find her own way in life'.

_What a fucking joke!_ Bella had been 'finding her own way' since she was four fucking years old!

At the age of ten, she had learnt how to fight her foster father, off as he tried to shove his hand down her pants. Once she had stabbed him with a pencil in his hand when he had put it over her mouth as she slept. His other hand had pushed inside her small, dry vagina and his hand smothered her screams. After she stabbed him, he stayed away from her, but he always watched her. Bella smirked at her foster father, Simon that evening over the dinner table, until his 'wife' Kate had shouted at her to keep her 'fucking, whore-mongering eyes' to herself.

Yeah, they were a real nice pair. Simon had overheard the conversation where the social worker had told her that she would be able to leave this fucking hell hole very soon, and that night, Simon had broken the lock on Bella's door and had tried to rape her. It wasn't the first time, but it was the most violent.

Bella had screamed at him to stop, but he had wrapped his fingers around her throat and if it wasn't for another foster kid, Tyler, she would definitely have lost her 'virginity' that night. As it was she and Tyler had run away that night.

Bella and Tyler had lived on the streets for six months until Bella had received her 'inheritance'.

Tyler had been hoping that she was his meal ticket out of the gutter and he was angry and disappointed when she had come bouncing down the alley that they had been sleeping in with her inheritance. A 1971, Volkswagen Beetle, an old photograph of a man with a toddler in his arms, two hundred dollars and a police shield.

Tyler was so angry with her that he had taken the only thing of value that she had.

Bella had lost her virginity to Tyler in the backseat of the Beetle and eight weeks later, when she told him that she was pregnant, he had left her alone on the streets, but only after he had stolen the little bit of money that they had scrounged together from working odd jobs.

Now Bella felt the two hundred dollars inside the tiny pocket that she had stitched into a small pouch that she had made inside the front of her jeans.

She had used one of those free sowing packs that came in novelty give packets. She had received one together with a brush, comb, a new toothbrush, some dental floss, a face cloth, two bars of soap, a small hand towel and a new pair of panties from a mission that she and Tyler used to go to for a hot meal every second day. That year they were lucky and had been accepted for Christmas lunch.

That parcel was one of only three Christmas presents that Bella had ever received.

She did not know what had made her keep the money a secret from Tyler, but something had prevented her from telling him about the money in an envelope that had her name written on the front. Inside was the money together with the old photo and the badge.

"Fuck!" She said again as she gingerly opened the back 'hood' and she stared at the oil blackened engine. "What the fuck ever!" She threw her hands up in disgust before she ran her hands through the black hair.

She had no idea what was wrong with her car or how to fix it, all that she knew was that she had to get to Canada. She needed to start over. Her hand moved to cover her still flat stomach; she had a life growing inside her that needed to be protected.

She wiped her hands on her broken black skinny jeans before she pulled the grey vest straight. Her wrists jingled with the assortment of bangles on her wrists. Bella reached for the ever present black elastic that she kept around her wrist and pulled her dyed almost black hair into an untidy bun.

At first she had dyed it so that no one would find her. But she didn't have money to waste on dye. _What a joke! _ People had to know that you were alive to look for you!

She didn't know if anyone was looking for her. After what had happened the night after Taylor had abandoned her, she couldn't stay in Flagstaff and wait for the cops to find her. She didn't even know if the man was alive or dead…

The temporary dye was one of those ones that washed out after four or five washes, but then again, you had to have a bath or a shower for that to happen, and for the past eight months, Bella had washed in garage wash rooms, and other public rest rooms.

It didn't matter anymore. She had to keep moving. She had to find a place that she would be safe. A place that the baby growing inside of her would be safe – she couldn't think about that night now!

Bella stuck her hands into her back pockets and scuffed her broken second-hand converse sneakers in the dust, "What the fuck is _**'at lace'?" **_She said to herself as she glared up at the old neon sign.

Her thin frame was scantily clad body caused quite a stir in the slightly run down truck stop, simply known to all the regulars as 'Pat's Place'. The broken neon sign however announced it as "_**at' lace'**__"._

_=====HS=====_

Billy Black sat in his usual seat near the serving hutch as he ate his breakfast and he chatted with his old friend Pat O'Malley. He often stopped here on his 'home' leg. He cast an eye to his truck with the six cars on the back. His son, Jacob ran a garage/second hand dealer business back home which was doing really well in spite of the economic climate. Jacob's talent as a master mechanic was widely known and his reputation for rebuilding and restores vintage cars and trucks was spreading further than the surrounding area. Jacob received cars from all over the State. Jacob had purchased this latest shipment from an auction in Charleston and fortunately Billy's back haul was empty from a drop off that he had done.

Billy had been a trucker from when he was a young man, just out of high school. His wife, Sue had found it difficult at first to only have a 'part-time' husband but over the past almost thirty five years, their marriage had remained strong. This was Billy's last year of trucking and each trip was bitter-sweet. Sue had promised him that they would buy an RV and they would travel so that he could show her the country that he had driven across more times than he cared to remember.

"Hey Pat, there's fresh meat out there!" Came a shout from one of the younger long haul drivers, James.

Billy shook his head, James and his 'posse' were in the truck stop every week and Pat often lamented their lack of brains to Billy.

The tone in James's voice caused Billy and Pat to look through the window. Billy cursed silently, what the dickens was a young girl doing out in the middle of nowhere, looking like that?

He quickly rose to his feet just as James and the slimy character that he drove with, Laurent slid to their feet.

"Hold it there, boy," Billy said with quiet authority, "you boys sit yourselves right back down and finish your breakfast."

James glared at Billy but he knew better than to try and defy the older man. He had seen two men jump Billy one night and Billy had put them both in the hospital with his bare hands.

Pat walked out from around the counter and he nodded to Billy, "I'll keep your breakfast warm, Billy." He said as he crossed his large arms over each other and leaned against the counter as he smiled grimly at James and Laurent.

Billy stepped out into the cool morning air. He knew that the temperature would rise steadily in the next few hours and he wanted to get a start before it got too hot. He could see the young girl was a little older than he had first thought and by the amount of cussing that she was doing, she was not happy.

He cleared his throat and Bella swung around with a speed that surprised him. The hard, half scared and angry glint in her eyes surprised him even more. He recognized that look. It was the look of someone who had lived on the streets long enough to know that danger lurked in every shadow.

Billy didn't smile, but he held up his hands to show that he was no threat to her, "You look like you could use some help, Miss." He said quietly.

Bella bit her lip as she scowled at him with open hostility. The man was tall and everything about him said 'authority'. He didn't stand too close to her and Bella didn't see anything in his face or body language that said 'danger.'

She paused for a moment to realize that she didn't feel threatened by the middle aged man. He wasn't looking at her with anything but kind concern.

Bella took a deep breath; it had been so long since anyone had not spoken to her with ulterior motives that she had almost forgotten what it was like to be courteous to someone.

"Um, yeah, thanks." She flicked her hand at the car, which sat encased in the haze of smoke.

"I'm um, not sure what's wrong with the stupid thing – I put oil into it a while ago, and it seemed okay then! _Stupid fucking piece of shit_!" Bella added as she took a step aside.

Billy smiled at her as he took a rag from the back pocket of his jeans, "Well, I'm no mechanic that would be my son Jacob, but I know a little bit from what he has taught me… here let me see."

"Do you know if your car has a catalytic converter?" Billy asked as he stooped down to look into the dirty engine.

Bella stared at him as if he had just told her that the earth had been invaded by aliens. "Huh? A cat-what?"

_What the fuck was that?_

Billy just chuckled and used his rag to wipe some of the oil off the dirty engine.

"What gas did you put in it?"

Bella shrugged, "The cheapest one, I think. Why?"

Billy shook his head, "I think that this engine takes leaded and you probably put unleaded into it, so the sensors are blocked up. That's what a catalytic converter does – it converts the engine so that it will run on unleaded fuel."

Bella looked at him as if he was speaking in another language, "Huh. So what the fuck does that mean to me?" she asked him.

He straightened up and looked at her, "You aren't going to be going far on this unless you can spend some money, I'm afraid."

"FUCK!" Bella wrapped her thin arms around her waist as she shouted and she kicked the tire again.

"I can't fucking stay here! I can't! This sucks balls, man!"

Bill slowly straightened up, "Are you in trouble, Miss? Is someone after you?"

Bella shook her head and barked out a harsh laugh, "Nope, nothing like that, I mean I'm not wanted by the law or anyone, but I – well I'm on my way to, well, I've got to get the fuck out of this place, you know. Where the fuck _are_ we anyway?" She looked down at her broken shoe and she was alarmed for find that her eyes were burning and her throat felt tight.

"We are on the outskirts of Joplin, Missouri, Miss. Where are you headed?" Billy asked quietly.

Bella half shrugged before she sighed and stared hard at the horizon before she answered, "I don't know, um, Canada?"

Just when Billy was about to speak Bella's stomach rumbled loudly. Bella rubbed her stomach and groaned slightly, she was so fucking hungry!

Billy sighed, he wasn't sure what it was about the young woman, but he felt very – protective of her.

He wiped his hand hands on the clean rag and stuck it back in his pocket before he held his hand out, "My name is William Black, but my friends call me Billy."

Bella stared at him for a minute and Billy was reminded of a stray kitten that Jake had brought home when he was a kid. The poor thing was the same and they had all had scratches on their arms and legs to prove it for about a week, before Two Socks realized that no one was going to hurt her. Billy smiled to himself. Two Socks the Third was now pregnant with the next generation of Socks. Each litter had heralded a black cat with two white 'socks' – and so they were called the Socks. After a moment of staring at Billy in an almost unnerving way, the young, very rumpled young woman gave a ghost of a genuine smile for the first time in what felt like forever and she tentatively put her small hand into his, "I'm Isabella, but you can call me Bella".

Bella had grown up without being touched unnecessarily and so she wasn't used to being touched affectionately or otherwise. Kate had occasionally let loose on the foster kids with her hand or a shoe or whatever else was handy, but Bella had learned to dodge the punishment if she could. Unless Kate singled her out for a beating, and then she had just turned her back and waited for it to be over.

Even with Tyler, a fuck was just that - a fuck – in – out – done. There had been no fireworks or music.

There had been extreme pain, some grunting, and bruises on her tits the next day. Every time after that, which was only twice, she had bit her lip until it bled to keep from screaming in pain.

Tyler had told her it was like fucking the dead the day that he left.

Billy looked down at the young girl who didn't look a day over sixteen. _Was she a runaway? Her hand is so cold, _he thought.

She realized that Billy was watching her expectantly, "I'm sorry did you say something?"

"I asked you if you would like to join me for breakfast."

Bella turned to look at the building, she scrunched up her nose as she thought quickly, "Do they need someone to do their dishes or sweep the floors or maybe clean their toilets… I can…"

Billy held out his hand, "Whoa, look, Bella, I'm asking you to join me for breakfast – my treat. Now what do you say?"

Bella bit her lip – she hated taking charity but this was hot food that was being offered to her!

She was so tempted, but still she was suspicious. "What do you want from me?"

Billy wasn't offended by her harsh question. Every bit of her body was screaming out 'Don't hurt me!'.

"Nothing, Bella. I don't want anything from you. I am a happily married man, who has a son and a grandson at home and I just feel like you could use a break. Now what do you say?"

She found herself walking next to the tall man with the black ponytail and olive skin.

Billy noticed that James and Laurent were nowhere to be seen as he motioned for Bella to take a seat in the booth by the window.

Pat walked over with a menu and a pot of coffee, "Good morning. I'm Pat."

Bella looked at him for a moment before she began to chuckle, "Now I get it – Pat's Place! Not _**at's lace!**_"

Billy and Pat laughed before Billy introduced Bella to him, "Pat, my young friend here needs some breakfast."

Bella watched as Pat was about to pour coffee into the thick white mug and she quickly shook her head. The one lament of her pregnancy is that she could no longer stand the smell of coffee.

Pat frowned; his coffee was good – "No?" Bella shook her head, "No, um, thanks."

"Something else? Tea?"

Bella nodded, "Tea sounds really good."

Pat smiled, "How hungry are you?"

Bella grinned, "Starving!"

"Order whatever you like, Bella. Whatever you can't eat now, you can take with you." Billy said. His eyes told his friend to make sure that he packed plenty extra for the young woman.

Bella looked at the menu and her stomach growled again. She blushed as the men laughed, "Um, can I have the 'full house stack' please?"

Pat and Billy's eyes shot up, "Impressive!" was all that Billy said.

"You like your eggs over easy or sunny side up?"

Bella licked her lips as the mention of eggs – she had been craving eggs for weeks! "Sunnyside please; white bread, apple juice, blueberry pancakes and bacon, not sausage." Bella said quickly.

Pat nodded in approval, "It'll be ready in five. You want the usual Billy?"

Billy nodded, "Sure Pat thanks."

Bella and Billy sat in silence until Billy spoke up, "So I know that you are headed for Canada, but where are you from, Bella?"

Bella's eyes suddenly looked weary and they darted around the room. Billy knew that she was going to lie to him, so he only half listened as she stuttered, "Vegas".

She was a terrible liar and she knew it. _Shit!_ Bella could feel her cheeks heat up and she cursed whichever parent had left her the legacy of blushing.

Billy stared at her for a moment before he leaned forward, "Bella, look –"

"Where are you from?" Bella asked quickly.

"Hope Springs, Vermont. It's a small town in the south east. The good news is that the state of Vermont is right on the boarder of Quebec, Canada." He said with a small smile.

Just then Pat interrupted them as he set down a pot of tea with a jug of milk and a huge stack of blueberry pancakes, clotted cream and syrup.

Pat smiled apologetically at Billy as he left to finish their breakfast.

At Billy's bidding Bella put half of the pancakes onto her plate and drowned them in syrup and cream. Billy watched as she ate. He could see that she hadn't had a proper meal in a long time. She looked far too thin and emasculated. Her cheeks were sunken and the dark shadows under her eyes told him that wherever she slept – she didn't sleep easy.

For some reason this girl was working her way into his heart. He wasn't sure if it was her large chocolate brown eyes, or the air of frailty that seemed to surround her, in spite of her aggressive, street-wise air.

Billy and Bella ate in silence for several minutes. Bella felt her stomach fill up and she tried to force herself to finish what was on her plate, but her stomach had shrunk in the months since she had been on the streets. She wondered if her baby was okay. Instinctively she put her hand over her stomach and rubbed it gently. _I'm so sorry, baby. What kind of life am I making you live in? I don't even have a bed or a place for you to sleep._

Billy watched the look of intense sadness wash over Bella's features as she touched her stomach, almost protectively.

He frowned slightly, _is she pregnant? Ill?_

He cleared his throat and Bella looked up at him, quickly taking her hand away from her stomach.

"I can get Pat to put that in a takeout container for you, if you like?"

Bella bit her lip and nodded once before she finished her cup of tea. She didn't know when she would have her next meal so any free food was welcome.

"Do you speak French Bella?" Billy asked.

Bella frowned, "What kind of question is that?"

"Well, if you go to Quebec, you should know how to speak French because that is their first language."

Bella nodded before she cocked an eyebrow, "Do you? Speak French?"

Billy smiled, "Of course. But that's because I travel over the boarder sometimes."

Bella nodded, "Oh. Can you take it as a subject in school in Vermont?"

Billy nodded, "Sure, I think Jake took it as an elective subject."

Once the table was cleared and the takeout cartons sat between them, Billy began to speak.

"Bella, I have an idea. My son, Jacob? Well he is the best mechanic this side of the ocean. He restores old cars and rebuilds engines. My truck," he pointed his truck out to her, "Has some place on it for your car. I can take you back with me and I'm sure that Jake can fix your car. It might take a while, but if you still want to leave then at least you will know that your car is safe again. What do you say?"

Bella sat back and stared at the man who she had only known her for about an hour. Hundreds of questions flooded her mind. _Was he on the level? Was this a set up? Could she trust him when she had never trusted any man before? Where would she sleep while she waited for her car to be fixed? How would she pay for the repairs? How would she eat?_

"Hope Springs is a small town, but I have lived there my entire life and my father before me. I have lots of friends there, people that can be trusted. I happen to know that one of our very good friends, Esme Cullen, who owns Blue Bonnet Orchard, with her husband, Doc Cullen. Well, she is looking to hire produce pickers, because it's getting to that time of year. She would pay you and you can get your car fixed before you move on. Now what do you say?"

Bella ran her hand through her bangs and realized that her hand was shaking so she quickly put it into her lap and made a fist, "Why would she? This woman, why would she want to take me in? I'm not some stray fucking dog, you know? I'm not some fucking charity case!"

Bella felt a burning anger at the thought that these men pitied her. _She wasn't some toy that rich people could pick up and put down when they got tired of her! She didn't need anybody!_

Pat had been listening to their exchange and when Bella spoke, he walked up to their table, "Hold on there, young lady. We don't use that kind of language around here. Billy is just trying to give you a way out of your predicament, so you should hear him out." Pat spoke with quiet authority and Bella struggled to get her temper under control.

For a moment both men thought that Bella was going to explode. Her face was scarlet and her brown eyes were shooting sparks of fury from them. It was clear that she didn't take chastisement well.

But after a minute, Bella slowly unclenched her fists and her eyes dropped to the table, "Sorry", she muttered but then she looked up at Billy, "Billy – I don't know what to say here. I'm not, um, shit! Are you for real?"

Billy sat back and folded his arms, "Hey Pat? Can we use your phone?" He said.

Pat walked behind the counter and brought the cordless phone over to the table, "Here you go, Billy."

Billy nodded to the phone which lay on the table between them, "Bella, why don't you phone enquires and ask for the phone number for the police station in Hope Springs, Vermont. The sheriff's name is Jasper. Ask to speak with him and you can ask Sherriff Jasper about me."

Bella stared at him for another two minutes before she just thought _to hell with it_ and picked up the phone.

_Could he be trusted?_ She wondered nervously.

Pat leaned on his counter and watched the young girl dial a number without taking her eyes off Billy. He had heard some of their conversation and he grinned at the girl's 'moxy'. She reminded him of his own daughter.

As soon as Bella had the number for the police station, she dialed the number without hesitation.

"_Hope Springs Police Station, How can we assist you?" _A nasally voice rang out so loudly, that Bella moved the phone away from her ear.

"Hello, can I speak to Sherriff Jasper, please?"

"_Sure Hon, hang on a sec.'" _Bella frowned as she heard the woman on the other side shouting for 'Jasper' to pick up.

She looked across at Billy who was chuckling to himself, "That's Darla. She's a little odd, but harmless." He explained.

Bella snorted, "Is she deaf too?"

Bella listened as the line was picked up suddenly.

"This is Jasper" A deep voice said quietly.

"Um, hi, look, you don't know me but my name is-" she began only to be interrupted by the voice_, "Hang on, Miss – hey Darla, put that damn phone down! I can hear you breathing on the other side!" _

Bella pulled the phone away and stared at it while Billy laughed harder. The woman sounded like a lunatic.

"_Hello? Hello, Miss? Damn…"_

Bella quickly put the phone to her ear, "I'm here!"

"_Oh thank goodness. Now what can I do for you, Miss…"_

Bella didn't want to give her details out, not after what had happened back in Phoenix, she looked outside, and her eyes fell on a small delivery truck that had just pulled in – _Vans Bakery_ - "Van! My name is Bella Van. I was wondering if you know a Mr. William Black?" She swallowed and prayed that she wasn't caught in her lies.

There was silence for a few moments before the voice spoke quietly,_ "Yes I do know Mr. Black, Miss Van. Billy and his wife Sue live on the outskirts of town. Why do you want to know? Has something happened to Billy?"_

"No! No, nothing like that! It's just that he had offered to give me a lift to his son's garage and I have never met him, so…" she let the rest of her sentence die.

There was a clearing of a throat,_ "Oh I see! Well, Miss Van, I can assure you that Mr. Black has never had so much as a parking ticket and you should be quite safe. Could I speak to Billy, please?"_

Bella nodded, "Um, Okay. Well, thank you, Sherriff Jasper." She held the phone out to Billy, "He wants to talk to you."

Billy smiled and stood up as he took the phone, he walked over to the far side of the restaurant and lowered his voice, but Bella could see that he was arguing with the sheriff.

Her eyes met Pat's across the room, and she sneered at him, "Sounds like the good sheriff is worried that I'm a physical threat to Billy."

Pat stared at her somberly for a moment, "Are you?"

Bella felt her jaw drop, "What? No! Of course not! What the fu," she had the grace to pause, "I mean what the hell kind of a question is that?" She could feel her anger rising. It didn't take much for her to get angry nowadays.

Pat nodded, "Billy is very well respected and loved, young lady, and you could do a lot worse than be stuck with him. Billy will keep you quite safe."

Bella stopped sneering at Pat's serious tone, "He is a good man, Bella."

Bella thought for a minute before she answered him, "That sounds like a paradox. I've never met 'a _good_ man', Pat." She said quietly and for a split second, Pat saw the scared, lonely young girl that Bella was, before she blinked and it was gone. Her eyes dared him to say anything about her slip.

Pat nodded, "That is regrettable, but you have now. You know, there are good people in this world, people that just want to help, without asking for anything in return – Billy Black is one of those people."

Billy walked back to Pat and handed him the phone along with several bills.

Pat shook his head, "Not necessary." He walked from behind the counter and pulled something out of a drawer and handed Bella the items, "Here is a phone card, and this is a card with my number. I have also written down the number of the Highway Patrol. Call me when you get to Hope Springs, you can reverse the charges, if you like."

Bella didn't say anything. She could see what Pat was saying, he was telling her that she had choices. No one had ever given her a choice before. She could make her own decisions but that he cared enough to have her call him. She wasn't powerless.

She slid the cards into the back pocket of her jeans and nodded to Pat.

Billy looked at her, "Well, have you made a decision?"

Bella bit her lip and took a deep breath, "Um, yeah, it looks like I'm going to Hope Springs." She said in a hurried voice.

** A/N: And there it is – Chapter 1 (with chapter names!) what did you all think? So next chapter is going to be posted in a few days – a Christmas treat from me. In this story Bella is eighteen and Edward is twenty-eight – for no other reason than that's how they played out to me. I hope that you liked it, and I know that you are going to tell me if it is good, bad' or indifferent.**

**Next chapter 'Meet the Cullens'!**

**Let me know**

**Hugs**

**Michele.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use and abuse – not graphic.**

**HOPE SPRINGS**

**At the end of chapter 1 – **

_**Bella didn't say anything. She could see what Pat was saying, he was telling her that she had choices. No one had ever given her a choice before. She could make her own decisions but that he cared enough to have her call him. She wasn't powerless.**_

_**She slid the cards into the back pocket of her jeans and nodded to Pat.**_

_**Billy looked at her, "Well, have you made a decision?"**_

_**Bella bit her lip and took a deep breath, "um, yeah, it looks like I'm going to Hope Springs." She said in a hurried voice.**_

**CHAPTER 2 – MEET THE CULLENS.**

The large farm-house was lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree. The wraparound porch had pools of light streaming out of every window on the ground floor. The front door stood wide open and only the screen door stopped the bugs from flying inside.

Laughter and loud voices could be heard from somewhere inside the house. The one hundred and fifty year old grand farm-house stood square, and strong in the twilight, crickets, and birds could be heard in the otherwise silent yard. The only noises came from the house and the faint noises of the farm as it settled down for the night.

Headlights shone on the barn across the way and then house as the double cab truck pulled around the wide dirt driveway.

"He's here! Finally! Hey Mom – Edward's here!" An excited young voice rang out. The man that got out of the truck smiled and shook his head as he took long strides up the steps and into the entrance hall.

"Brianna! Stop yelling!" A woman's voice rang out from somewhere deep in the house, but then the man heard footsteps hurrying towards him.

"Edward! Thank heavens! Bree has been impossible ever since she got home from her pool party."

Edward smiled and he leaned down to kiss the woman's cheek, "Hmm, you smell so good. Am I the last to arrive?"

Esme Cullen nodded as she patted her youngest son's cheek. "Are you hungry?"

Edward nodded as he ran his hands through his hair, "Starving, I didn't eat all day. Hey, did you go and fetch Roscoe from Rosie's?"

Esme rolled her eyes, "Of course Edward! Honestly, he is fine, but let her tell you herself. The boys and Dad are in the front room. Dinner will be in about ten minutes."

They parted ways, Esme to finish overseeing the setting of the table and Edward to spend a few minutes with his father, his older brother and his brother in law.

"Edward!"

He grinned as he spied a slim girl flying down the stairs and he barely had time to react as she leapt into his arms.

"Hey Squirt! You are getting too old to do that!"

"Oh fiddle sticks!" The beautiful young girl replied. She shared the same coloring as her brother. They both had hair of burnished copper, and eyes as green as a forest in spring. Edward held his baby sister Briana, better known as Bree at arm's length. "Fiddle sticks? Seriously? What the hell are you reading now, Bree? Happy birthday by the way!" He kissed her check affectionately.

Bree tossed her hair over her shoulder and the riot of curls fell down her back as her green eyes twinkled at her favorite sibling, "Why, _**Gone with the Wind**_, of course!"

Edward shook his head and threw an arm around her shoulders, "Aren't you supposed to be helping in there?" He motioned to the hallway which led to the kitchen and received an elbow in the ribs, "Hush!"

Edward chuckled as they walked into the front sitting room. Edward was greeted by the large dark haired man who was sprawled on the sofa with a young child in his lap, "Hey little brother!" The man said with a grin.

Edward smiled and rolled his eyes, "You have to remind me of the pecking order, huh Em?"

Two blond men stood by a bar in the corner, the younger one chuckled, "He's been doing that since you were three years old, Edward, he's not going to stop now." Jasper looked over to where his and Alice's children, Chelsea and Brady were sitting on the floor, playing with Emmett and Rosalie's two children, Jed and Emma.

Edward walked forward and gave Jasper a fist bump before he stepped forward and took the cold beer from his father's outstretched hand.

Carlisle Cullen was a still a good-looking man and at fifty-eight years old, he still turned heads when he walked down Main Street. He had thick blonde hair that was graying at the sides. His eyes were a cornflower blue, which his wife teased him, was much to pretty for a man.

His thick lashes and dimples, had made him almost irresistible to women all his life, but it was his college sweetheart that had captured his heart. They had met by accident, quite literally and they had been together ever since. He had only waited two years before he had married the pretty, Esme McKinney, from the neighboring town of Woodstock.

"Thanks Dad! I needed that after my last appointment!"

Carlisle Cullen grinned unrepentantly at his son. "Mrs. Greenly?"

At that, everyone in the room began to laugh, and Bree made kissing noises until her father stopped her with a warning look.

Edward pulled his hand through his hair again, "I don't know if she is senile or if she just acts that way so that she can get away with pinching my a-s-s! And she wanted me to paint her toenails again!"

Jed's eyes grew big as he stared at his cousin, Chelsea that was also seven and in his class at school. Chelsea covered her mouth with her hand as she sniggered, "What's 'ace' Uncle Edward?"

The men all turned to look at the children with wide eyes. They knew that there would be all kinds of hell to pay if any of the women found out that they had said or even spelled a cuss word in front of them.

"Um, it's someone who is the best, you know like when Grandma says 'she's a pistol'? It's just a figure of speech, Chels."

Jasper looked at his younger brother, "Your sister in law will rip you a new one if she catches you, Edward. You are going to have to learn that these walls have ears!"

Edward sighed, "I know, sorry. I'm still getting used to the fact that Chelsea and Jed are getting so big now, and they can spell so well!"

The small four year old that looked just like Jasper, walked over to Edward and climbed into his uncle's lap.

"I's a good spelder too, Uncle Eddie." He said in his gruff little voice. Edward cuddled Brady against his chest and kissed his baby-chubby cheek, "Of course you are, Sport! You can spell your name can't you?"

Brady nodded and his big blue eyes were wide and serious, "Yeah I can even so too!"

"So, then, you are much cleverer than your uncle Emmett over there. He still has a problem spelling his name and your daddy wears a badge to remind him who he is!" Edward said smugly and he winked at his nieces and his nephew that gathered around him.

He wiggled his eyebrows and Jasper and Emmett protested as the children giggled at their silly antics.

Just the Alice walked into the room and walked over to kiss her brother in law, "Hey Edward, how was work? I hear that your last appointment was with Mrs. Greenly?" She said with a grin.

A few moments later, Esme called everyone to the massive mahogany dining room table that had been in the family for almost two hundred years. It could seat twenty people once extended, but there were usually fourteen seats around the table, unless it was a holiday or if Esme had not invited 'strays' to dinner.

Carlisle said a blessing as they all held hands and then as was their tradition, they toasted the birthday child, in this case, Bree, who was celebrating her fourteenth birthday. Esme and Carlisle shared a smile as they looked around the table at their family. They had been married for thirty seven years and they had four children. Emmett was the oldest at thirty-four and he had married Rosalie Hale ten years before when they had met up at a college football game.

Although the Hale-Whitlock girls had lived next door to the Cullens for many years, Emmett and Rosalie had never been friends as children. It was only when he saw her sitting on the bleachers talking to Royce King that Emmett had decided that he wanted to get to know the Flaxen haired beauty.

Emmett took after Esme's Scottish ancestors, with dark hair, mesmerizing dark blue eyes and he was built like a linebacker. He stood six foot four in his socks. Rosalie was breathtakingly beautiful who intimidated the hell out of men when they found out that she was a Veterinary Surgeon – one of the best in the state.

Jasper was the second eldest of the Cullen children. He had surprised everyone by announcing that she was marrying Alice Whitlock when he was just twenty-one. Alice was Rosalie's half sister and their next door neighbor ever since her father and Rose's mother had married and moved into the house next door when he and Alice were eight years old. He had loved her from the very first time he had seen her. Jasper had been studying towards his degree in psychology, while Alice was an undergrad design student at NYU. They were the same age at thirty-two and they had never been happier. Jasper looked like his father, with his easy, good looks and cornflower blue eyes. He was tall and slim where as his wife had pitch-black hair, tawny brown eyes, and where Jasper was six foot two and the shortest of the three brothers, Alice was tiny, only just on five feet tall. Once Jasper had completed his residency, he and Alice had settled back in the only town that they called home.

Five years earlier, after a traumatic shooting incident in a nearby school, Jasper had decided to study law enforcement and he became the town's sheriff three years before. Jasper was good at reading people. His degree gave him an insight into how people thought and felt. He still had a private practice which he ran out of an office at home and he volunteered for school counseling as well.

Edward was twenty-eight, and Bree had been Esme and Carlisle's 'second honeymoon' baby, who had turned fourteen that day.

Sometimes Edward was acutely aware of the fact that he was the 'odd man out' in his family.

Each member of the Cullen 'clan' had found their 'mates' early and had courted, married and had children within a short period of time.

Edward had never been married.

While all of the members of the Cullen family were good looking, Edward Anthony Cullen was spellbinding.

From his wild, coppery, hair, to his fine boned nose, chiseled jaw and fuller bottom lip. His most startling feature was his green eyes.

Bree had chosen a seafood theme as her birthday meal, with dessert being Angel Cake with ice cream.

As dishes were passed around, and everyone to eat, Jasper remembered his strange phone call that morning, "A strange thing happened this morning," he began.

Edward's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, "Stranger than usual with Darla around? I doubt it!"

After a good ribbing from everyone, Jasper carried on with his story. He told them about the phone call that he had received from '_Bella Van'_ and his subsequent conversation with Billy Black.

"Why do you sound like you don't believe her?" Edward asked. He had gone into private practice the year before after he had finished his residency, with Carlisle who wanted to retire within the next two years.

The first month that Edward had been home, he had also been voted in as town mayor, because the last mayor had died 'suddenly' at the age of ninety seven.

Edward had not wanted the job and he knew that it was more of an overseer position, but he took his part-time job very seriously.

Jasper shook his head, "Because I ran her name and nothing came up. Billy said that her full name was Isabella – I ran that too, and nothing. I told Billy to phone me at regular intervals to check in or even to text me. I also made him give me his route. He should arrive tomorrow around dinner time."

Esme cleared her throat, "Billy spoke to me as well, this morning. This poor girl is looking for some work to tide her over, so that she can get her car fixed or something."

Esme turned her green eyes to her husband, searching for understanding, "Carlisle –"

Carlisle shook his head at his wife, she knew that he could never deny her anything, "You already offered her the cot in the barn didn't you, May-May?" he said quietly, using the name that their grandchildren used for her.

Esme had the grace to blush slightly, "Not really – I said that I would need to meet her first," she began, but Edward shocked everyone by banging his hand down on the table.

"Mom! How could you? Do you know what happens to people who open their homes to strangers? Do you?" he demanded with an uncharacteristic scowl on his face.

Emmett nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Mom. Damn it!"

"Emmett, language!" Esme said sternly.

Carlisle glared at his sons, "That is no way to talk to your mother, Boys. Now apologize immediately." Both Emmett and Edward were well aware that Carlisle would never allow them to disrespect Esme.

They both apologized, although neither looked particularly contrite.

Carlisle nodded his head, "Good, now, I think that this is something that your mother and I will discuss in private." His eyes shifted to the children around the table that were watching the adult drama with rapt attention.

No one ever raised their voice in Pa and May-May's house – not ever, unless they wanted their mouths rinsed out with mustard. And if you were to cuss, well, May-May would wash your mouth out with soap – 'no, ifs, ands or buts!'

"Okay, kids, you may leave the table. You may play in the sun room or watch some television and we will bring some ice-cream in side for you." Esme said.

Alice's daughter Chelsea, who looked like a miniature copy of Alice, hopped off her chair and walked around the table to kiss her grandmother on her cheek, "Thanks for supper, May."

Esme smiled and turned in her seat to hug her eldest granddaughter. Chelsea was a bubbly, lovable child, and people could not help but respond to her warmth.

"It's only my pleasure, Angel. Now, why don't you and Jed take Brady and Emma to wash hands and then you can play?"

Chelsea looked over at Jed who nodded and stood up. Jed and Emma were Rosalie and Emmett's children and while both of them had thick, blonde hair like their mother, they had both inherited their father's bright blue eyes and his disarming dimples. Jed was the eldest and like his father, he was very protective of his sister and younger cousins.

The children were all very close and they almost spent as much time in their cousins and grandparents homes as they did in their own.

Jed flicked his thick hair out of his face and thanked his grandmother for dinner, before he thrust his head towards the bathroom door, "Come on, let's go. Here Brady, let me help you." He said as he held the chair for his four year old cousin. Brady looked just like Jasper, with sandy blonde curls, the cutest smile and blue/grey eyes that crinkled in the corners when he laughed, which he did often.

Once the children had disappeared into the enclosed back porch that served very well as a playroom-sunroom, Jasper, Emmett and Edward cleared the plates away, while Carlisle refreshed everyone's drinks.

"I still don't like it," Edward said as he cleaned the plates off and passed them onto Jasper, who was loading the dishwasher.

"You don't have to like it Son," Carlisle said as he carefully wrapped the left over's up and stacked them into the refrigerator.

"I'll bet she's some drugged up hobo that Billy felt sorry for - again!" Emmett said and Edward was quick to nod in agreement. Billy had a bit of a reputation for finding street-people on the road and giving them lifts – although he had never brought one home before.

Carlisle sighed and looked up from his task, "Now listen up; I appreciate your concern, I really do, but you have to drop this. If this girl or woman is unsuitable, I won't allow her to stay on the property, I promise. We will send her to the Mission over in Hartford. I will speak to Billy in the morning and find out what he thinks of her. Billy Black has a good head when it comes to sizing people up; I don't think that he is going to get hoodwinked by some whippersnapper of a girl."

The brother's shared a look and they agreed silently to keep a close vigil on things, until they were satisfied that this 'whippersnapper' was on the up and up. Edward smirked, with Emmett being the town's attorney and a private investigator and Jasper being a head shrink and the town sheriff, and him being the Mayor as well as the town's doctor, if this girl thought that she was going to come into town with bad intentions, she was in for a huge surprise.

Once the kitchen was clean, the adults walked outside and sat on the white wicker furniture that had sat on that porch for almost one hundred years.

Esme was talking about a shopping trip that she and the girls needed to make soon, "Well, Rosie; it's just a month to go before school begins…"

Alice groaned dramatically as she kissed her husband's cheek took her wine glass out of his hand and flopped down next to Esme in what seemed like one movement.

"Don't remind me, each time I try and prepare him for the fact that Emma won't be home with us this year, he starts to cry, ignores me or changes the subject! I am dreading August twenty-first!" Alice shook her head sadly.

"I thought that you were sending him to playschool full time this year?" Esme asked.

Alice scrunched up her nose when Rosalie laughed at her, "Yes, she is! And if she is honest with you, Esme, she will admit that it is she, who is nervous about being alone and not Brady!"

Alice reached out and pinched her sister's arm. Rosalie swatted her away but Alice had jumped up and she sat on Rosalie's lap as they continued to play fight, and it was Emmett and Edward that eventually separated the two.

Carlisle laughed at their antics, "You two have been squabbling like this ever since Rosie stole apples from mom's tree!"

Alice gave her best friend a glare, but everyone saw the way her mouth was twitching to hold the smile in, "Yeah, well, she was trouble from when she was six years old and she still is!"

Rosalie laughed, "Oh please, the minute we moved in next door and you spied little Jasper Cullen, you were all over him like a rash in the summer heat! You chased the poor boy until he didn't have any strength to resist you!"

Everyone burst out laughing until Emmett, who was surprisingly untactful for an attorney piped up with a chuckle, "Yeah, Eddie, you are lucky that there wasn't another sister, or you could have ended up like us!"

"Emmett!" Esme hissed in reproach, but Edward acted as if he hadn't heard Emmett's comment.

=====HS====

Later that night, Edward and his best friend, Roscoe, his two year old tricolor Australian Shepherd, circled the park across the road from his house with its running paths, gazebo, children's play area, and watering hole that was used for most of the town's outdoor events. It was one of the reasons that Edward had chosen to live on Charring Cross Lane.

Upgrading the park had been one of Edward's first tasks as the town's newly appointed Mayor the previous year. It was one way of filling his otherwise predictable and empty life, and even though he had protested when he had been informed that he had been elected Mayor, without having ever run for the position, he secretly enjoyed the distraction.

Every now and again Roscoe would look at Edward in reproach before he hobbled away to sniff the grass.

"Now, Ross, you can't stay mad at me forever. You know that you had to have your teeth cleaned and you needed an x-ray for that foot! You shouldn't have chased that rabbit last week and think of it this way: It's not like I had your balls cut off!" Edward said as he tried to get back into his dog's favor.

Roscoe looked up at him and Edward was sure that he snorted before he walked back slowly to his master's side.

"Come on, let's go home, boy."

Edward turned towards the double story house. He loved his home. His family could not understand why he needed such a large house, and he could not explain the sense of peace and security that he got each day as he pulled up in front of the blue and white timber frame house that had been the last on the estate agents list of available houses to show him.

Edward didn't usually dwell on the past and why at the age of twenty-eight, he was working as a small town doctor, when he had graduated at the top of his class and after his residency, he had been offered a position at several prestigious hospitals, including Johns Hopkins and NY Presbyterian, where he completed his residency, but he wanted to come home.

He needed to come home and his family understood that.

His father had never once held his rebellion against him, but instead, in typical Carlisle fashion, he had quietly welcomed his middle child home with open arms.

Edward went through his evening ritual of taking off his shoes and putting them in the wood paneled mud room and making sure that Roscoe had water in his bowl before he found himself in the large country kitchen, making himself a cup of herbal tea.

He pulled out a chair and sat down at the large pine table as he stared moodily into the mug.

He pulled his long fingers through his hair as he absently played with the ball piercing in his tongue.

As he took a sip of the hot brew Edward remembered when he had first come home and how his mother had almost flipped her shit when she had seen the piercing in his tongue.

He had been a first year university student and one night, just after his birthday, two of his friends had dared him to get pierced. He grinned to himself; his tongue wasn't the only thing that he had pierced. He had gone back several days later and he had a Prince Albert piercing. That had taken a little longer to heal, but Edward was never sorry that he had it done.

He had also stupidly dyed his hair and there were blue and black streaks within his normally copper, wild mop of hair.

He had done a number of other things as well to rebel against his parents and the life that he had been brought up in.

Esme had cried until Alice had pointed out that it could have been worse, he could have pierced another piece of his body. Edward thanked his lucky stars that he had a brilliant poker face, because he was sure that Alice would faint if she ever saw the piercing on his cock.

Edward loved it. All three brothers were circumcised like Carlisle and the piercing just made the head feel so much more sensitive.

After that last, stormy encounter with his parents, Edward had stormed out of the house and he didn't go back for six months until – that night.

His green eyes hardened, until they were a stormy green/grey color, _Jenna had liked his Prince Albert as well. _

_That was until she had died in his arms._

Suddenly he stood up and he drained the contents of the mug quickly. He rinsed the mug out and set it to dry on the rack before he turned on the timer on the coffee pot and turned all the lights off, besides the under-counter lights in the kitchen before he walked upstairs.

He pulled of his clothes and left them in a trail across his floor as he made his way into the bathroom.

One of the reasons that he had bought this place was because of the master suite. It was more than generous in size and his sister had furnished it in the perfect combination of grey and light blue, making it peaceful and calm.

Edward had needed a lot of calmness around him when he had first arrived. His life up until then had been driven and almost manic.

Edward walked into the wet room and turned the shower on. He loved this room. It was made up by one side of the master bathroom. There was a glass wall that turned what was essentially a giant shower into a 'wet room'. The other side of his bathroom was also enclosed by a glass wall behind which was a Japanese bathtub.

Edward stood under the vicious jets of water and let the stresses of the day wash off him. When he was finished, he wrapped a towel around his hips and brushed his teeth. Once he was dry and he had towel dried his hair, he put the towel into the hamper and walked across the room to his extra long, extra wide bed.

This was another one of his indulgences. After years of trying to fit his six foot three frame into a normal sized bed, Edward had decided to indulge himself.

Sleep would not come easily tonight, he knew and he rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

He loved his life now.

There was predictability in each day. He remembered a time when he had scoffed at his father's chosen field of medicine. He had thought that family medicine was for old has-been doctors that couldn't cut it in the real world. Edward cringed when he remembered that he had actually said that to Carlisle one night – the same night that he had come home in tears, barely conscious.

_Carlisle had offered him his own practice, or at least a partnership and Edward had scoffed at him, shouting at him even as tears of exhaustion, grief and fear had run down his cheeks. He remembered ever word that he had spat at his father, "Do you honestly think that I want to be like you? Stuck here for the rest of my life? This is fine for you, Carlisle, but you didn't graduate top of your fucking class, did you? Catch a fucking wake up call, old man, I am nothing like you!"_

He would never forget the look of complete heartache and devastation on Carlisle's face as he just stood and took everything that Edward had said to him, until there was nothing left to say and Edward was curled up on the floor, with his arms wrapped around his knees, keening and rocking in agony.

Carlisle could have thrown him out that night, he should have, but all he did was usher Esme and Bree, who was six at the time was upstairs and out of the way.

He had sat on the floor next to his youngest son and he had wrapped his arms around and rocked him as if he were a baby as Edward had poured out his heart. The months that he had strayed – away from his family, away from the beliefs, customs and morals that he had learned and lived all of his life, seemed to hang in tatters around him.

Only Carlisle and Jasper knew what had driven him away from New York. There had of course been the police investigation and Edward narrowly missed being put on suspension, but intervention from Carlisle once again saved his ass, and he had gone back to school.

From that time on, all that Edward did was study, work part-time at the library to pay his parents back and go to school. He had gone home for every holiday and celebration after that.

He had begun to interact with his family again, until he was himself once more. Well, a new self. He was quieter, no longer wild and spontaneous. He didn't take any chances and every decision that he made was carefully thought out and reasoned.

Esme and Carlisle spoke about it many times. She missed her wild, happy-go-lucky son. She missed the boy with the quirky, lopsided grin and teasing manner that could charm the birds from the trees. Carlisle was careful to point out that he was confident that one day, someone or something would be the catalyst to help merge the old and the new man that Edward had become.

Edward had gone to a colleague of Jasper's for counseling for a few years and Colin had told him over and over that what had happened was not his fault, but Edward know that if only he had not been so driven to succeed, he would have seen something, he would have noticed that he was slipping further and further out of control.

Edward sighed and punched his pillow; he closed his eyes determinedly and wondered what the 'stray dog' that Billy was bringing to town was going to be like. He had to do everything in his power to keep her from corrupting his family. _ He had met transients before. He knew their kind only too well. _He remembered …

Edward forced his thoughts away from that time.

That was one of the reasons that he had changed so much in the past few years. His Harley was still in the garage, but it lay under a dust cover and was only taken out on rear occasions when Edward needed to get away. His torn and broken jeans were only worn at home, as were his wife beaters.

When he stepped out of his home in the mornings, he was all about Brooks Brothers' shirts, neatly pressed trousers and sensible lace-ups. He even owned a fucking tweed jacket with leather patches – that had made Jasper and Emmett laugh their asses off for hours.

Only his family knew about the tattoo down the side of his torso, or the date that was tattooed on his shoulder right above a scar.

Finally his eyes closed and he slipped into an uneasy sleep only to awaken hours later in a pool of sweat, as the image of the lifeless body of the blonde young woman and her dull, dead blue eyes burned in the back of his brain.

Edward got up and had a cold shower, before he slipped into a pair of black sweats and he made his downstairs to the black baby grand that stood in what was supposed to be a formal sitting room, but essentially it was his music room as it only held his piano, his guitar and a black leather sofa. He stared out at the dark sky as his fingers flew over the keys.

Finally he felt at peace.

**A/N: So, now you have met our Edward – a little bruised and broken, but underneath his tweed jacket, tats and piercings….hmmm.**

**What do you think of Bree? **

**As you will see, the chapters are MUCH shorter. And so, IF I can keep ahead, then I should be posting every week. You know me, I will do my very best to post regularly – something to read with your weekend coffee.**

**To all of you, wherever you are, I would like to wish you and your families, a safe and happy Festive Season.**

**With love and gratitude,**

**Michele**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

**At the end of chapter 2 – **

_**Finally his eyes closed and he slipped into an uneasy sleep only to awaken hours later in a pool of sweat, as the image of the lifeless body of the blonde young woman and her dull, dead blue eyes burned in the back of his brain.**_

_**Edward got up and had a cold shower, before he slipped into a pair of black sweats and he made his downstairs to the black baby grand that stood in what was supposed to be a formal sitting room, but essentially it was his music room as it only held his piano, his guitar and a black leather sofa. He stared out at the dark sky as his fingers flew over the keys.**_

_**Finally he felt at peace.**_

**CHAPTER 3 – ARE WE THERE YET?**

A few hundred miles away, Billy stared into the night as he drove towards Vermont and his home. Every now and again, a sound would cause his eyes to look over at the girl curled into the passenger seat of the cab, the small, dirty fleece blanket pulled over her thin body.

She was a noisy little thing as she slept he thought with a smile that faded, as Bella whimpered. She was a restless sleeper, never seeming to relax for more than a few minutes at a time.

After they had left Joplin, Missouri, Bella had been ill at ease for a while, but as she realized that Billy wasn't interested in making idol conversation, nor was he going to make a pass at her, she calmed down enough to ask a few questions about the town and the state that she was headed to.

Billy gave short and concise answers. Yes, the town was small, less than a thousand people.

Yes, they did have running water and electricity, he answered sarcastically. Bella snorted and Billy thought that he even heard a chuckle of sorts.

Bella snorted when Billy admitted that they had one traffic light, which caused more accidents than the stop sign that it had replaced.

He told her that they had their own elementary school that went from kindergarten to grade six. They also had an aftercare center and a daycare centre. The high school kids went to school in neighboring Woodstock. There wasn't a hospital but he told her about the 'young' doc Cullen and the 'old' doc Cullen who was retiring soon, and both doctors had hospital rights at Mercy Hospital in Woodstock and at the bigger hospital in Hartford. They shared a fire department with the next town, but it was within Hope Springs' borders.

At first Bella just snorted and rolled her eyes as Billy told her about Hope Springs, but secretly she could feel a warm feeling inside her, a tugging that was foreign to her.

The town sounded nice, quaint, and _homely_. Bella Swan did _not_ do homely! Bella knew better than to feel anything for any one. _Stay numb_ – that was her motto. It had never let her down before. A person couldn't get emotional and shit when they were in foster care, that's for sure.

Bella cleared her throat and muttered a 'whatever' before she turned her back towards Billy and stopped asking questions.

After a few attempts to draw Bella into a conversation about herself, which he gave up when Bella turned to him with a scowl and asked him, "Are you a cop or something?", Billy settled for making small talk about the many quirky and amusing inhabitants of his home town.

After a while Billy was silent, but he watched as Bella carefully pulled a broken and dirty soft back book out of her back pack. The pages were bent but what made Billy pause for a moment was the look of almost reverence that swept over Bella's face as she traced the front cover loving before she thumbed the book open. As if she sensed his scrutiny, Bella looked across at him with a glower, "What? Don't people read in this fu, um, crazy town of yours?"

Billy just shook his head with a laugh, "Yeah, we read, there is even a library and we have outdoor movies in summer every second Saturday night. We also have our own private movie house, which is a donated historical home; it's a lot of fun. We have ice skating on the pond in winter and skating parties as well. We even do some serious fishing if you are into that."

Bella snorted, "Whatever". Inside she was thinking that it sounded like something out of a fairytale. It sounded too good to be true. She knew that people were not always what they had seemed to be. They didn't keep their word and they let you down. They hurt you and they leave you… just like Tyler. He was supposed to be her friend, but when he got angry that night that she had brought the car back, and he had gone to the liquor store around the corner from where they were sleeping and when he had come back, he had been so – forceful.

"_This is how people show love, Bella… of course it's going to hurt… fuck you are dry…oh! Stop fucking crying Bella! Just go with it… yeah, that's it, oh fuck… I love your whimpers…"_

Thankfully she had only had to endure that twice more before she realized that she had not had her period. She had collected a free pregnancy kit from a woman's shelter and when it was positive, Tyler had freaked out and then he was gone the next morning.

Bella hadn't been sad. She hadn't felt anything. He was just another asshole to fuck up her life, but this time she was going to take this 'mistake' and turn it into a blessing.

"_You are so fucking stupid! Why the fuck did I save you from Simon – you are useless and good for nothing – you can't even fuck! It's like sleeping with the dead! No wonder you are an outcast – you will never fit in – NEVER!"_

Bella woke drenched in sweat, gasping and moaning at the remembered pain. She quickly looked over at Billy who thankfully had his iPod earphones in and he hadn't seemed to realize that she had fallen asleep.

Billy forced himself to keep his eyes on the road. Hearing Bella whimper and cry out in her sleep made him want to recruit a hunting party. He was sorry that he had never learned the art of scalping, because right about now he would love to scalp someone named 'Tyler' and then there was 'Simon'.

_Oh Bella, what has the world done to you?_ He wondered sadly.

A few miles later Billy pulled into a truck stop in Indianapolis. They had made good time, but he wanted to try and make it through to Akron, Ohio before he finally stopped for the night. It was three in the afternoon and Billy was sure that Bella must have been getting a little stir crazy.

Bella looked up from her book when the long-haul came to a stop, "Why are we stopping?" she asked with a frown.

During their drive Bella had pulled out her left over breakfast and although she made sure to offer Billy first, she finished what was in the Styrofoam containers, like a hungry wolf, confirming Billy's suspicion that Bella had not eaten a proper meal in days, weeks even.

She had not complained once, but each time he stopped to relieve himself and stretch his legs, Bella had quickly run to the bathroom.

"Well," Billy said as he stretched in his seat, "I need a break and we could both use something to eat and drink before we press on to Akron."

Bella frowned, "Akron?"

"Akron, Ohio."

Bella looked around her, "Oh! Well where are we now?" she asked as she scrunched her nose up and looked around them.

Billy smiled, "We are in Richmond, Indiana. We passed through Indianapolis a while back, remember?"

Bella nodded, "Oh yeah"

Billy laughed as he opened his door, "Right! As if you noticed anything with your nose buried in that book!"

He didn't wait for an answer but climbed out of the cab and walked around his rig.

Bella opened her door and just like before, she refused Billy's helping hand with a snort before she jumped down beside him.

Bella stretched her legs while Billy inspected his truck. Bella liked that he was so careful. She liked the fact that his eyes didn't seem to miss anything and he was as a tentative to his truck as he was to her.

She knew that he knew that she was lying about the few details that she had given him, but he didn't press her and she didn't see anything in his face, except polite curiosity.

Bella used the public bathroom, which seemed better than some of the others that she had 'bathed' over the past months.

Bella pulled several paper towels out of the dispenser and she quickly washed under her arms and her face and neck. She dried off with more towels and raked her fingers through her ratty looking dark hair before she pulled it back into a messy bun. When she stepped back, she was happy to see that she looked a little better, although she had to pinch her cheeks to get some color into them.

Billy was waiting outside and he looked at Bella clutching her backpack to her chest as she walked out of the restroom.

"Um, I think that I'm going to call Pat just to let him know that I'm okay. What do you think?"

Billy nodded, "I think that he will enjoy hearing from you."

Bella's eyes darted to the phone booth and back to Billy, "um, I'll see you inside?"

"You could have left that in the truck, you know," he said, indicating the backpack

Bella bit her lip, "Naah, its fine. I prefer to have my um, some stuff with me, you know, just in case?"

Billy's Native American heritage was very evident in his weathered, impassive face as he merely nodded and led the way to the dinner, but she wasn't fooling him for a minute – Billy knew that _everything_ that she owned was in that small backpack, because there were no other bags in her car.

Pat was pleased to hear from Bella and he asked her to call him again to let him know when she was settled.

When they were sitting down and they had both ordered a burger, although Bella had asked for a side plate of steamed vegetables as well, while Billy was happy to eat his extra deep-fried onion rings and green tomato slices.

Billy smiled as he watched Bella enjoy her food. She was almost humming with pleasure and he felt a stab of sadness at the realization that Bella had not been treated to a meal like this in a long time.

"This is good, hmm?" He asked.

Bella nodded as she grinned at him before she pulled her strawberry milkshake towards her. She closed her eyes as she took a tiny sip from the glass.

"Heaven!" she whispered to herself.

When she opened her eyes and saw that Billy was watching her, she felt the cursed heat rise in her cheeks.

"Sorry," she mumbled, embarrassed that she must be making a pig of herself in front of this kind stranger.

Bella smiled, "I'm glad that you are enjoying you meal, Bella. My son, Jake, you can ask his wife, Vanessa, or Nessie as we call her, he will put you to shame! He puts everyone to shame except for some of his old team mates – I tell you, that boy can put away six of these burgers at a time!"

Bella smiled, "Tell me more about your family" she said. It was one way of distracting Billy from asking too many questions about her and where she came from, but it was also fascinating to her to listen to his stories.

Bella was more than a little intrigued as she watched Billy talk about his family and friends. Bella could almost feel the love coming off her companion. His voice was low and melodious and Bella wasn't surprised when he told her about how he was descended from the Native American tribe of Abenaki. She even teased him that he looked like a chief and Billy colored slightly admitting that his father was the last Chief of that tribe and there were strong routes in his community to his tribe and the town which his forefathers had settled in.

She remembered learning about Native Americans in school, once. She had also been in school for a few years to learn about them at Thanksgiving.

Billy was busy telling Bella about the town's plans for the Labor Day Picnic and Celebrations. Bella frowned; the Labor Day weekend didn't bring back any good memories for Bella. When she had been in the group home, the orphanage would have an 'open' day where they would invite prospective parents to the home to meet the children. Bella was too shy to meet anyone, and she usually hid away until everyone was gone.

When she was placed with the Rawlings, she learned early on to make herself as small as possible when both he and Kate were drinking and smoking it up all weekend long. She learned to cook around the time that she was fifteen, so that she could make sure the little ones were fed at least. That didn't always stop her from getting a backhand for using up the little food they had, but that didn't matter too much when she had eaten.

Bella looked up when she noticed that Billy had stopped talking, "I'm sorry, my mind wondered for a moment," she said blushing again.

"It's alright, Bella, my kids tell me that I can be quite boring at times."

"No! Not at all! I'm enjoying listening to you. I was just thinking that your Labor Day weekend sounds really good." She said without a hint of her usual mocking tone.

Billy didn't miss the note of wistfulness in her voice, but all he said was, "Well, it's not too far away, so maybe you will still be there. It's only three weeks."

For a moment, Billy thought that she was going to break the 'tough guy' character that she had assumed, but then she blinked quickly and the moment was gone.

Bella shrugged her shoulders, "Meh, whatever. I'm from um, Vegas you know, and we don't have things like picnics and pot luck dinners and covered dish evenings!"

Billy picked up his knife and fork again with a sigh, "Of course you don't."

He looked down as he began to eat again.

Bella felt terrible for being so rude. She wasn't a barbarian or uncivilized! She had a very distant memory of sitting on a man's knee as he held his hands over hers as he taught her how to eat with 'grown up' cutlery. She wasn't sure if she remembered him or if it was just prompted by the old photograph that she had been given, but ever since her eighteenth birthday, she had dreams that involved a tall, somewhat skinny man, with a moustache and dark, soft hair.

Most of the time he was smiling at her or laughing. One dream had been about her riding high on his shoulders; with her little fingers sunk into his hair that was so much like hers.

After a few moments of silence, Bella cleared her throat, "Um, Billy? Mister Black?" Billy looked up at her. Bella felt an unfamiliar feeling of remorse for her behavior.

Bella bit her lip, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude to you. I can't, um, I can't explain everything, but you have been nothing but decent to me and I have been a real fucking bitch to you and I'm sorry for cussing as well!" she finished talking. Her face felt as if it was going to burn up it was so hot.

Billy didn't answer her, instead he just gave her a little smile and a nod, and they finished their meal in silence.

Bella's stomach felt funny. She wasn't sure what it was but she didn't feel 'right'. She kept looking at her companion but he was calmly eating and sipping his iced tea. When he was finished he asked if she would like any dessert, but Bella declined as politely as possible. She would have loved a slice of the dark, moist chocolate cake that was on display, and she even licked her lips as she watched a waitress cut a thick slice of it. She didn't feel right taking anything more from Billy who had really been more kind to her than any other person in her life.

Other than the man from her dreams - Charles. The way that he was smiling at the toddler in his arms, that he was happy, that he loved the child.

Bella felt her eyes sting and her throat tightened. Bella blinked several times and excused herself quickly to use the bathroom.

Billy watched her go with a sad twist to his mouth. His heart was positively aching at the deluge of emotions that Bella was trying to hide or suppress.

He could feel her almost bewildered sadness from across the table. The look of longing in her eyes as he had spoken about the holiday celebrations. The way her eyes had shut down, and become dull as she locked those feelings away.

He pulled out his phone and smirked when he saw a text message from Jasper Cullen. Billy quickly phoned him and he kept the conversation short.

Yes, he was fine.

No, Bella 'Van' had not tried to solicit him for sex, drugs or any other wrong doing.

Yes, they were running on schedule and they would stop at the _Ramada Inn_, in Akron, before driving through to Hope Springs the next day. Billy promised to call again once they got into Akron and he disconnected the call before he called the waitress over and had her cut two generous portions of chocolate cake and he got her to fill his flask with tea.

He remembered that Bella had only been ordering tea or water. He quickly paid for everything and waited for Bella to join him at the counter.

Once he had refueled and they were back on the road, Billy began to tell Bella about other holiday events that the town celebrated.

He had Bella laughing when he told her about the 'Pumpkin Parade' that preceded the Thanksgiving Parade and Potluck dinner and games event that took place at the town hall.

"People dress up in pumpkin costumes? And they battle for first place in the costume competition?" Bella asked again.

Billy nodded, "You have no idea, Bella. This thing is important – the prize for winning first place in the costume competition is a Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings for free from Hope Springs Convenience Store with fresh produce from Uley Organics – this is a huge deal!" he said seriously, but Bella saw the smile tugging at his mouth as she laughed and shook her head.

Bella frowned, "Is Uley the name of the people that are looking for a produce picker? I thought you said that the lady's name was Esme or something."

"That's right, Esme and Doc Cullen – they own _**Blue Bonnet**_, and they supply a lot of markets and stores in the area, and they also supply Sam and Emily Uley who own the organic market in town. Sam, Jacob, and Emmett Cullen all went to school together. Jake also coaches the Hope Springs High School football team. Emmett and Edward, that's the young Doc Cullen, coach the Little League Baseball team."

Bella nodded, "Everyone in your town that um, sporty?" She asked with a frown.

Billy grinned, "Oh yeah! We are all about group activities. There is Friday night football games, snowboarding and ice-skating parties in the winter over on Dorset Common. In the spring and summer there are concerts in the park, outdoor movie nights. Hang, we even go and cheer on the Baby Bears Little League games."

Bella snorted, "This all sounds a little too perfect and 'normal' for me."

Billy raised his eyebrows at her, "Normal isn't always a bad thing, you know Bella. You could do a lot worse than 'normal'."

Bella looked at Billy for a long moment before her eyes clouded over with an all too familiar look. She was shutting him off, "I know. I just don't know what 'normal' is supposed to look like."

Was all she said before she turned away and a few minutes later, Billy watched as she pulled out her book and once again buried her nose inside it.

A few hours later, Billy stopped for a stretch and a toilet break and when Bella got back to the cab, she noticed a container on her seat. Her stomach growled loudly at the sight of the slab of chocolate cake and when Billy reached into his cooler box and pulled out the large container of double thick fresh cream, Bella wanted to reach over and kissed the tanned cheek.

After a mug of tea and their cake, Billy pushed on to Akron and he was happy when they pulled into the motel/truck layover just after seven that night.

Bella looked around her with a frown. She had not realized that they were going to stop somewhere to sleep. _What exactly were his expectations?_ Bella fingered the card that Pat had given her as her eyes darted over to the public phone booth.

Billy's smile turned into a frown when he saw how she was looking around her with large, worried eyes.

"Relax Bella, I called ahead. There is a single room a few rooms down from mine that is booked in your name. It isn't fancy or anything, but the beds are clean, the showers are hot and the towels are fresh, and the door locks from the inside." He said with amusement.

Bella gaped at him, "Why – how – I mean, how much is it?" _How the fuck was she going to pay him for this?_

"Well, my wife told me to tell you that this is our treat, and it's only twenty five dollars for the night, so please, please, accept this gift from us. It isn't charity. I know how important it is to you to pay your own way, so if you want to, you can call this a loan and you can pay me back when you can, okay?"

Bella felt that odd stinging behind her eyeballs again and she had to swallow hard to get rid of the lump that had formed there.

"Okay," she whispered.

Billy and Bella walked over to the small house next to the motel. An older woman stood behind the counter and she smiled broadly when she saw Billy, "Hey there Chief! How are you? Is this your guest?" Bella looked at the pretty woman with dark brown hair and light brown eyes. She looked to be in her late thirties or so.

Billy hugged the woman and turned to Bella, "Bella, this is Vinnie Youngblood. She and her husband Felix own this place and Vinnie here makes the best Chicken Pot Pie on the planet!"

Vinnie put out her hand and Bella shook it, "It's good to meet you, Bella. Now let me take you to your room and then you can just walk over to the diner."

Bella didn't say anything as the woman pulled two old fashioned keys from a board behind her.

"Billy, you are in your usual room, number seven and Bella, I've put you one door down Honey, and you are in room five."

Bella clutched her backpack to her chest as she followed behind Billy and Vinnie. They seemed to know each other well as Vinnie asked about several people whose names Bella recognized from when Billy had spoken about his town.

Billy reached his room first and turned to tell Bella that he would meet her at the diner in an hour.

Bella nodded and carried on to her room. Vinnie unlocked the door and stepped inside. Bella's eyes were as big as saucers as she looked around the simply furnished blue and white room. The furniture was made from pine, a dresser with a small television set on it, as well as a small kettle with a box of instant coffee, tea bags and sugar. There was a three quarter pine bed with a single side table.

Vinnie walked to a door in the corner, "There is a shower, toilet and basin in here. There are fresh towels, some soaps and shampoos packs on the counter."

Bella was standing where Vinnie had left her. She had never seen a room like this before. Her room at the Rawlings place was an old pantry behind the kitchen, with one dirty skylight and a bare hanging bulb. Her bed had been made from pallets and old blankets and cushions.

Bella jumped when Vinnie touched her arm, "Sorry is there anything else that you need, Bella?"

Bella shook her head quickly, "No, no thanks."

Vinnie smiled at her kindly, "Good, now come over to the diner whenever you are ready, okay?"

Bella nodded and Vinnie put the key in her hand, "This door locks automatically and you can also double lock it from the inside. There is a phone next to your bed and if you dial 9*, it will ring in reception as well as in our house, please don't hesitate to call if you need us. Billy's number is 907*."

Bella stood in the middle of the room just staring around her until a broad grin began to break across her face. Within seconds Bella was across the room, pulling her clothes off in a hurry, she tripped over her sneakers and jeans before she made her way into the bathroom and opened the shower door.

Bella stood under the water for fifteen minutes washing away months of dirt and grime. Washing in a basin just was not the same as getting naked. She had washed her hair three times before it felt clean and after two applications of conditioner, her hair felt soft and silky.

When she stepped out of the shower, the room was fogged up with steam. Bella wrapped her body in the softest towel in the world before she brushed her teeth and walked back into the small room.

She crossed to where her backpack lay and turned the contents onto the floor. She didn't want to dirty the pretty bedspread.

Bella picked out a clean pair of panties; she made a mental note to wash her clothes before she went to sleep. She had a pair of cut-off jeans and one other pair of jeans. Bella quickly pulled on the blue, faded jeans with the tear in the knee, a sports bra that she used to sleep in and a white wife beater.

Once dressed, Bella brushed her hair and she was shocked to see how shiny it was. The black dye had mostly washed out, but although her hair was darker than before, she could see the brown and chestnut highlights in it.

Bella put on the only other pair of shoes that she had a pair of plastic thong sandals and after she had washed out her bra, socks, and wife beater and she had hung them to dry on the tiny wash line in the bathroom; she carefully locked the door and made her way to the diner. She carried her backpack that held her most prized possessions, an ancient copy of _Little Women_, that someone had left in a bus shelter and Bella had found it when she was about ten. The old photograph and the police shield in the tattered envelope that Bella had carefully wrapped in a plastic bag and a soft, dirty child's blanket, that was once pale pink, but was now grey. Besides the clothes and the two hundred dollars that were tucked into the small secret pocket, this was all that Bella Swan owned.

"What is her story, Billy?" Vinnie asked as she and Felix sat in the diner. Billy shook his head, "I don't know her story. We met at Pat's truck stop back in Joplin and she needed her car fixed. I offered Jake's services and made a quick call to Esme Cullen. I don't' know what it is about this girl, but she needs help even if she doesn't know it, yet. I think that she's been on the streets for a while."

Vinnie nodded, "Yeah, she has that skittish, hard look about her and you should have seen her face when I opened the door to the room – she looked as if she was going to pass out!"

Billy frowned, "Did you put extra shampoo and stuff in the bathroom like I asked you to?"

"Of course. There are enough sachets of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel to last her for a month or so. I also packed out a few extra towels, just in case she doesn't have one and by the look of her, I don't think that poor girl has much of anything. Hang on, here she comes now."

Vinnie watched Bella look around her carefully before she opened the door of the small diner.

Billy was tempted to turn in his seat when he saw the shocked expression on Vinnie's' face, before it broke into a wide grin, "Well, look at you, Miss Bella! You clean up nicely." Vinnie's hand shot up to cover her mouth in horror a she stared at Bella.

Bella chuckled, "Its okay, Vinnie, I know what I looked like." She said softly and for once she didn't sound angry or offensive.

Billy looked up as Bella stood next to the bench and he felt his jaw slacken, which he snapped shut just in time.

Bella 'Van' was beautiful. Her hair shone with a hundred different shades of brown, chocolate, chestnut, coffee and there were even some threads of a golden brown that shone through the darker dyed areas, which thankfully looked as if it was washing out.

Instead of the dark, smudged thick eyeliner, Bella's face was scrubbed free of makeup and her brown eyes were huge in her thin, angular face.

"Bella, this is my husband, Felix. I'm sure that you will meet our daughter, Vanessa, or Nessie as everyone calls her," Bella looked from Felix to Vinnie, "Are you from Hope Springs?"

"No, we are from here, but Nessie and Jacob met in High School, at a football game and the rest is history. We've been to Hope Springs many times of course, so over the years we have gotten to know everyone there." Felix explained.

After that Felix and Vinnie left Bella and Billy to their dinner of Chicken Pot Pie and Apple Crumble with ice cream for dessert.

Bella's eyes kept closing and so at nine fifteen that night, Bella climbed into a freshly made, clean bed for the first time that she could remember. She had been worried that she wouldn't be able to sleep, but as soon as her head hit the soft pillow, she was snoring.

=====HS=====

Bella woke up just before five the next morning. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. She stretched and lay quietly for a few moments. Her hand snaked across her still flat stomach. She wondered if the baby was a boy or a girl. For the millionth time she wondered if she was doing the right thing by keeping the baby.

Bella sighed and threw the covers off. She took another long shower and washed her hair and her body again, reveling in the feeling of her skin being squeaky clean.

Finally she got out and dried herself with the thick, fluffy towel. She wrapped one around her hair as she took her washing off the clothes line. They were a little damp, but at least they were clean. Bella found a plastic laundry bag in one of the dresser drawers and carefully folded the damp jeans and the old hooded sweatshirt into the bag, while she slipped the clean panties over her legs and put on the still damp bra, shivering slightly. She put on a small amount of deodorant and packed everything into her backpack. She dressed in her cut off jeans, a blue tank top and a small, sleeveless knitted vest that she couldn't remember where she got it from. She put on her damp socks and her Converse sneakers before she finger dried her hair and then she brushed it until it shone as she sat on the edge of the bed and watched television.

Bella knew that she wasn't clever, her foster parents had told her that was the reason that she didn't have to go to school any more – that and the fact that they wouldn't buy her any clothes or school supplies and Bella was too embarrassed to show up in one outfit every day. She had liked school and she often dreamed about going to school and learning new stuff. She only owned two books, _Little Women_, and the thin book of poems that she had found in a high school dumpster. She had read both of them at least a thousand times.

There was a knock at the door and Bella shot to her feet as if she had been stung. She looked through the peep-hole and was relieved when she saw Vinnie on the other side.

"Morning Bella!" Vinnie said cheerfully.

Bella smiled slightly, "Hi, um, am I late or something?"

Vinnie smiled, "No, but I know that Billy likes to be on the road by seven, so I thought that I would wake you up early so that you can take a leisurely shower and get ready in your own time, but you beat me to it. I brought you some tea, muffins, and a boiled egg with strips of bacon. Billy usually eats his breakfast alone when he stays over and then I just pack him lunch and tea for the road."

Bella watched as Vinnie put the laden tray on the small dresser.

"Thanks?" Bella said.

Vinnie walked towards the front door, "Um, look I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to say it. You can take offense if you want to, but I hope that you won't. Felix and I live a simple life and we have a good business here. I have packed a parcel for you. There is nothing elaborate in it, just some shampoo and conditioner sachets, a couple of towels and a few other small items and I would be very honored if you would accept them from us as a gift."

Vinnie watched Bella carefully. Billy was right, she was a terrible poker player – all of her emotions were clearly evident on her face as her hands clenched into fists by her sides.

She quickly reached outside and brought the small parcel in from around the corner and held it out to Bella.

Bella felt her heart beating quickly as she took the bag from Vinnie. Vinnie had packed everything into a cloth laundry bag with a drawstring top. It was cream with a navy strip around it and the draw string was made from a thin rope.

It almost looked like a bag that one could use for gym and Bella peeped inside to see tons of the strawberry and wild mint shampoo and conditioner as well as packets of the sandalwood shower gel and there were a few small bars of the matching soap.

Bella didn't know what to say. Instinctively she wanted to throw the gift back at the woman, but she knew that there was no malice or ulterior motive in Vinnie's gift.

After swallowing several times Bella hesitantly held out her hand. Vinnie put her hand out and Bella shook it. "Thank you for your gift. And for not asking any questions."

Vinnie clasped Bella's hand in both of hers, "You are very welcome, Bella. I am glad that you ran into Billy when you did. The Blacks are good people and Hope Springs is – special."

Bella frowned, "What do you mean, 'special?' Is there something wrong with that town?"

Vinnie giggled and then she grew serious, "No! Not wrong, just – different. You'll see what I mean; it's almost as if there is something magical in that water or something. Everyone is quirky and possibly most of them are off their marbles but they have hearts of gold and there is great healing power there, you'll see what I mean. Just give them a chance."

Bella shrugged as she turned to where her backpack was sitting on the chair, "I'm not staying there forever, Vinnie. I mean, a few months maybe, while my crappy car is being fixed, and then, we," Bella's eyes grew wide before she lowered her gaze to the backpack, "I mean _I_, and then _I _am off to start a new life in Canada. Alone, by myself… yeah." Bella could feel her face burning as the lie caused her stomach to churn.

_I'm not denying your existence, Baby, it's just that I don't know if I can keep you, or not._

Vinnie could see that Bella was about to panic and she decided to back off, "Well, for the time that you are in Hope Springs, just absorb as much of the atmosphere that you can. I will leave you to your breakfast. You still have plenty of time. Take care of yourself, Bella." She smiled and walked back to the small reception area.

Bella carefully repacked her backpack, making space for some of her new supplies, while she packed her damp clothing into her new bag that she was pleased to see could fit over her shoulder.

At fifteen minutes before seven Bella took a last look around the room and she closed the door.

She walked to Billy's door and hesitated for a moment before she knocked quietly. Billy opened it almost immediately and after a brief greeting, he pulled his own bag out of his room and after he had loaded everything into the cab of his truck and Bella was sitting in her seat, Billy quickly went to fetch the food that he had ordered.

Bella stowed the basket of goods behind her seat in the sleep space. Billy waited for Bella to fasten her seatbelt before he raised his eye brows at her, "Ready?"

Bella nodded, "Let's go."

Billy smiled as he eased the truck out of the parking lot, "Hope Springs, here we come!"

====HS=====

Bella felt a hand shake her shoulder gently and she sprang awake, "What the fuck? Get your hands off me!" She growled as she struggled to wake up. She looked around her, and sighed with relief when she noticed that she was in Billy's cab with her back pressed against the door.

Billy was sitting as far away from her as possible, with his door open, "Relax Bella, I'm sorry if I gave you a fright, but we are here. We are in Hope Springs."

Bella pushed herself up and wiped her eyes even as she looked around her. "What time is it?"

"It's just after seven." He said.

Bella's mouth was suddenly dry. From what she could see, the town looked like a stereotypical 'small town, USA.' They were parked in a large concrete yard, but Bella could see the main street from where she sat.

Billy interrupted her as he began to pull out the rubbish that he had put into a bag in the back area, "This is my son, Jacob's place. Esme is meeting us at the diner across the street."

Bella looked over to where Billy had indicated and she saw the neon purple sign that read, 'The Purple Cow Diner' and she let out a snort of laughter.

Billy smiled, "Yeah, that was Jessica's idea. She and Mike own the place and Jess is, well she's a little quirky, if you know what I mean. Wait till you see the inside, you'll see why it's call that. But on the other hand, Mike is a great chef and they sell a ton of stuff from my wife's Home Bake store."

Bella shook her head as she opened the door and climbed out. She had forgotten that she had not moved in several hours and her legs almost gave way and she would have landed on her ass if two giant hands hadn't stopped her.

Bella swung around, with her fists up and ready until she looked up. And up. Into the face of the tanned skinned, handsome man with the same crinkly and laughing eyes as Billy.

"Whoa there Champ!" he said with a loud laugh. Bella stared at him in wonder. He had to be at least six foot five inches in his socks. His hair was as black as night and was spiky on top and short in his neck, but Bella could see that it was as straight as pins.

Jacob Black was a very attractive man and Bella felt at ease with him almost immediately because like his father, he did not look at her body at all, but instead, he held her gaze steadily.

"Sorry, but I don't like people touching me." Bella mumbled as she reached up and pulled her backpack from the cab. Jacob made to reach for it, but Bella glared at him and clutched it to her chest. "I don't like people touching my stuff either."

Jacob wasn't intimidated by the death glare that the five foot and a couple of inches, girl gave him. Instead he held up his hands in surrender and grinned at her, "You are a prickly one aren't you?"

Bella huffed and turned to pull the small tote bag that Vinnie had given her from her seat.

When she turned around Billy and Jacob were talking about the cars on the back of the truck. Jacob chuckled when he spotted Bella's car tagged on to the back.

"This classic is yours, Bella?"

Bella growled quietly, "What about it?" she almost barked at him, but Jake chuckled again, "Nothing silly; it really is a classic. But it needs to be treated right, don't you girl, hmm? You just need some tender loving care from Uncle Jake, don't you Darling?" he crooned as he ran his hand almost lovingly over the rear wheel guard.

Bella looked at Billy with raised eyebrows, "Someone else that's 'quirky'?"

Billy nodded with a grin.

Bella narrowed her eyes at Billy, "Is this a town for, well you know, 'slow people' or something? Are you all part of a cult or a government program? I don't want to be a part of any fucking experiment where they doctor the shit out of the water or something!"

Both Billy and Jacob laughed outright at her last comment, before Jacob answered, "Well, we aren't slow, but we sure are special and do you kiss your mother with that potty mouth?"

One moment they were laughing together and the next Jacob took a step back as a red faced Bella stalked towards him. She held her bags under one arm, while she poked a finger against his massive chest with her free hand, "Don't you _ever say another fucking word about my mother, Dickhead_. And if my fucking swearing offends you, then I am so fucking sorry!"

Bella turned to Billy, "Look, thanks for the ride and everything, but –"

Billy interrupted her attempted brush-off, Bella wasn't surprised to see him looking angry but she was surprised to see that he wasn't glaring at her, but at his offspring, "Jacob, you owe Bella an apology immediately."

For the first time since meeting him, Bella could see why people might call him 'chief'. He looked like an Indian chief. His face was hard with disapproval.

Bella looked back at Jacob as he moved towards her, "Of course, I do. Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to disrespect you in any way; Nessie keeps telling me that I open my mouth just to change feet. I am an oaf, please forgive me."

Bella wanted to stay angry with him, but the combination of his twinkling dark berry eyes, and an almost childlike beguiling smile, that Bella felt her own mouth turning up into a smile, "Don't sweat it, man. I do have a potty-mouth and a fucking bad one at that!" Bella said before she clamped her hand over her mouth as they all began to laugh.

"Come on, Bella, May-May should be there already."

Bella quickly said goodbye to Jacob and she caught up with Billy as they crossed the street. Cars were parked diagonally on either side of the street. The rows of shops on either side were double storey buildings all of which had old-fashioned high covered walkways. Bella could see hanging baskets full of flowers and hanging greenery outside most of the stores. Other stores had flag poles with flags flying on them.

"It looks like a set from an old cowboy movie." Bella said more to herself than to Billy, but he commented anyway, "Well, this town was founded in 1763, just two years after our older 'sister' village of Woodstock. In those days, the sidewalks were made high so that the ladies wouldn't have to walk in mud as they did their shopping."

"Oh. Okay, then." Bella muttered.

She had loved history as a child and she remembered being better than average at it in school. She had loved to listen to her teacher talk about the 'olden' days. Miss Massey had a gift for making history come alive and Bella had listened with rapt attention as the woman had told them about their country's origin and heritage.

"Bella," Bella was startled to find Billy standing beside an open door, but Bella's eyes looked beyond him into – _Oh. My. God._

Bella gasped.

She barely heard Billy's laughter as she stared around her in a mixture of fascination and horror.

"Holy fuck." Bella whispered.

Billy chuckled, "Indeed."

Bella blinked and tried to focus but all she could see was – purple – giant purple and white mottled seats. Purple table tops. Purple and white checkered floor and – dear God, a giant plastic purple and white cow, with long eyelashes curled up in one corner of the diner with a huge white daisy in its mouth.

The diner was fashioned in typical fifties decor, milkshake and burger joint, with lots of chrome, including a neon purple and chrome jukebox on one side.

Two purple doors on the opposite side of the room read, 'Daisy gals' and 'Ferdinand fellas'.

There were old small 'seven single' vinyl records and large album vinyl's plastered on the pristine white walls. There was a lower floor with booths all around a central counter and to one side there was the jukebox, a small dance floor and a three step staircase that led to a 'mezzanine' floor and Bella was reminded of the movie _**Grease**_, which she had seen once on television. She had loved that diner.

"Billy!" Bella looked up as a slightly built, slim woman walked towards them. Bella responded to the woman's smile with one of her own. The woman had hair that was just below her shoulders and was a most unusual color of caramel toffee and autumn leaves. Her eyes were a soft green/grey.

The woman stopped in front of them, "Hello, Bella. I'm Esme Cullen, but you can call me Esme or May-May."

Bella felt nervous and she hugged her bags closer to her chest, "Um, Hi. I'm Bella."

_How stupid do you sound, idiot? Of course you are Bella – who else are you then ? Ringo-fucking-Starr?_

Esme was still smiling at her, "I know that this place can be a little – colorful, but the food is really good. Come on, I have reserved a booth for us over in the corner."

Esme led the way over to the far corner of the diner and suddenly Bella could feel every eye in the diner on her. She could feel her face begin to burn with embarrassment and shame as she weaved her way towards their spot.

Billy shook his head and glared at some of his neighbors and friends that were at the diner for dinner, on dates or just there for his wife's Apple Crumble that she supplied to the diner.

He could see the flickers of curiosity, exasperation, judgment, hostility on some of the faces, while he was relieved to see, friendly curiosity on other faces.

He knew that no matter how quirky and homely his town was, it didn't stop some people for gossiping with vicious malice as they spurned anyone whose families had not been there for at least one hundred and fifty years.

Billy could see the tension and unease in Bella as she walked towards the booth. She was hold her two small bags as if they would ward off evil spirits – Billy wanted to snort, in true Bella-fashion, _ward off evil, gossip mongering, narrow minded fools_.

Bella stood to one side and waited for Esme to slide into a seat and when Billy slid in next to her, Bella heaved a sigh of relief and sat on the opposite sides, with her bags stacked next to her.

A teenager with her hair pulled up into a high pony tail tied with a large purple bow, of course. She was dressed in a pair of purple three quarter Capri style pants, with a purple, white and black gingham patterned shirt that tied in the waist and white sneakers.

She looked at them with a smile, "Good evening Miss Esme, Billy. What can I do for you folks tonight?"

The girls flashed Bella a welcoming smile, "Hi, I'm Bethany."

Bella nodded at her, _was everyone in this fucking town so fucking friendly? Didn't they get tired of smiling like assholes all the time? _

"Bella." Bella mumbled.

Esme chatted to the girl about her mother, her dogs, her younger brother and something called a Sunday service, while Bella yawned behind her hand.

Suddenly she felt the need to pee. Urgently.

"Um, excuse me, where is the bathroom?"

"Oh! I'll show you." Bethany chirped. Bella wanted to smack her, but she reckoned that it would be like smacking a lame puppy.

Unthinkable.

Bella nodded and shifted out of the booth at the same time that she pulled her bags towards her.

"You can leave those here, Bella."

Bella looked from Billy to Esme; she really didn't want to go through that explanation again.

Billy spoke up before she could, "That's okay, Bella. Can I order you some fries and a milkshake or would you like a burger?"

Bella was not used to eating so much meat, so after a moment she asked for a vegetarian burger, with a side salad instead of chips and a lime milkshake that just sounded too good to resist.

Bella kept her eyes on the floor as she followed Bethany to the bathroom. Once again, she could feel conversations stop as she walked by. She really wanted to yell at everyone to fuck the hell off, but she couldn't do that to Billy.

Bethany opened the door and Bella was relieved and shocked to find that the bathroom was snow white with only one row of subway tiles in purple that went around the room at picture-rail height.

Bethany smiled at her reaction, "I know, it's a shock after being inside isn't it?"

"Yeah." Bella said and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh! Sorry, I'll leave you to it. I will wait for you outside, okay?"

"Thanks." Bella was oddly relieved that she would have to do the 'walk of shame' back to her seat alone.

Bella finished in the bathroom and took a moment to look at her self in the mirror. She looked a lot cleaner than she had the day before.

With a shrug of her shoulders and a deep breath, she opened the door. True to her word, Bethany was standing on the other side.

She led the way back to the booth but Bella's breathing hitched when she saw that Esme and Billy were no longer alone.

There were two men leaning in towards Esme, in what seemed to be a heated discussion. The men were tall, slim, but well-built from what Bella could see, but it was the uniform of the man with dirty blonde hair that made Bella's heart race. She stared at his back before she looked at the other man.

He was talking quietly but Bella heard the last part of his sentence, "…Mom, you don't know her! What if she is not as 'harmless' as you say! You have only known her for like what? All of five seconds!"

"Edward Anthony! That will be… _Bella_!" Bella's startled gaze flew up to Esme's embarrassed face.

It seemed that time stood still as Bella felt all conversation stop around them. A hundred eyes stared at her and Bella wished that the ground would open up and swallow her.

Both men turned around, the cop seemed to be taking in every detail of her, from her scuffed and broken shoes to the cheap bangles on her wrist.

It was the other man who held her captive in his bright green gaze.

He was beautiful. His bronze hair stuck up in a thousand directions, his dark eyelashes framed his mesmerizing green eyes. His nose was straight and fine. His lips were full, even though his mouth was pulled into a straight disapproving line and his jaw was chiseled. Bella saw the muscles of his jaw flexing as he glared at her.

Bella felt herself begin to tremble. Her eyes flickered to the surrounding tables and she saw everyone looking at her, waiting for her to make a move.

"Bella –" Her frightened eyes met Billy's. "Wait-"

Bella's feet knew what to do before her brain even registered. One step back. _Run!_

Another, step backwards.

_When in danger – run! _

Another step_ – run!_

_This was a creed that she had lived by for many years. _

_Stay under the radar – stay out of the limelight – keep your head down and if all else fails – RUN!_

"Billy, I can't, I'm sorry" she whispered and before anyone could react, Bella turned blindly and ran for the door.

_**A/N: So she is running. Will he run after her? Should he? What is Esme going to say? So they have 'sort of' met now – not the meeting you were hoping for? Me either! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate it) and that you are all enjoying the festive season. **_

_**I hope that 2012 will be the most amazing year of your life!**_

_**Till next time, with love, hugs and kisses,**_

_**Michele**_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason! **_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 3…**_

_**Bella felt herself begin to tremble. Her eyes flickered to the surrounding tables and she saw everyone looking at her, waiting for her to make a move.**_

"_**Bella –" Her frightened eyes met Billy's. "Wait-"**_

_**Bella's feet knew what to do before her brain even registered. One step back. Run!**_

_**Another step backwards.**_

_**When in danger – run! **_

_**Another step – run!**_

_**This was a creed that she had lived by for many years. **_

_**Stay under the radar – stay out of the limelight – keep your head down and if all else fails – RUN!**_

"_**Billy, I can't, I'm sorry" she whispered and before anyone could react, Bella turned blindly and ran for the door.**_

**CHAPTER 4 – FIGHT OR FLIGHT?**

A waitress was carrying a tray and Bella felt their shoulders knock as she raced outside.

She heard shouts and glass smashing but she was running. Across the street! A car hooted. Around a corner. Around another corner – past houses. Past what looked like a school. More houses.

Bella ran nonstop until she couldn't take another breath. She stopped when her legs threatened to give way. She knelt in the dewy grass with her hands on her knees, taking gulping breaths. She heard herself dry-sobbing.

Her hands were shaking, _fuck_; her entire body was shaking in the growing darkness.

After who knew how long, Bella had calmed down enough to look around her. She couldn't see much in the darkness but she could make out a river or a lake of some sort as well as a few pathways that were lit by old-fashioned looking street lamps.

Bella looked back over her shoulder but the row of houses that faced the field that she was on, looked to be a fair distance away. She saw that there were a few people on the pathway but no one was staring at her or looked disturbed by her presence.

Bella finally got to her feet and looked in her backpack. She smiled when she pulled out the bottle of water that she had saved from the pile of snacks and drinks that Billy had insisted on buying her.

Luckily, she was more than full from all of the food that her new 'friend' had been plying her with over the past two days and so she had managed to keep a fair amount of food and drinks.

Bella pulled out an apple and a packet of chips and after carefully closing her bag again; she swung it over her shoulder and began to walk through the park.

After a while she saw what looked like some sort of structure in the middle of a large mowed lawn area. There were some trees and a few flower beds, which seemed to be well cared for. As Bella got closer, she saw that it was a beautiful, white, gazebo.

She looked around quickly to make sure that no one was watching her and when she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, Bella made her way across the lawn and up the wide steps. She saw that it was much larger than she had first thought, with steps on three of the lattice work sides. There were white roses climbing up the sides of the gazebo, and there were benches around the sides.

Bella sat down on the clean wooden floor, and rested her back against one of the benches. She was careful to put her two bags under one of the benches.

For the first time since the frightening encounter in the diner, she let out a breath that she hadn't realized that she had been holding.

She was safe here.

It was a beautiful summer's evening and Bella pulled her hooded sweatshirt from where she had tied it around her waist earlier and let it drop to the floor beside her as she opened the water and took a long drink of it.

She still had the money from her, from Charlie. Bella snorted; even in her mind she couldn't call him her _father_. Just the sound of the word was foreign to her. It felt wrong for her to say the word – how many times over the past five years had Simon or Kate shouted at the foster kids that the reason that they were foster children, wards of the state, was because no one had wanted them.

None of the six or so children that were living with them at any one time had argued with them. Bella let out a bark of laughter, certainly not after the one time that she had spoken up, shortly after she had gone to live with them, and she had retorted that they all had come from somewhere. That surely someone had loved him or her all at one time or another.

She had not seen the backhand before it was too late. With a split lip and a blue and swollen eye and nose, Bella had never spoken up about her parents again.

After she had finished the apple, Bella looked in the new bag and with a smile, she had pulled out one of the small packets of single wet wipes that Vinnie had given her.

Bella wiped her face, neck, under her arms and her hands. She pulled out her new toothbrush and the large toothpaste and after contemplating her options, she crouched on the far side of the gazebo and brushed her teeth, before she rinsed her mouth with a little of her water.

She stood up and looked around again and when she saw that the area was empty, she quickly took off her sports bra and she just left her wife beater on.

Bella made sure that she packed everything away. She had learned to be prepared all the time – for anything.

She didn't know the laws, but she knew enough to know that it would be frowned upon if she was caught sleeping inside the gazebo.

She wished that she could read, but the light from the lamps in the park were too far away and she couldn't see the words on the pages.

Bella sat back and closed her eyes, listening to the faint sounds of people laughing and maybe some children playing. She could hear the sound of barking dogs and a few cars drove up the road that separated the park from the houses on one side.

From what she could see, the other side of the river or lake was more grassy areas and then a forest stretched back towards a hill.

_I'll just close my eyes for a minute; then I will crawl under the seat and sleep. I will figure out what to do tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow is another day._

=====HS=====

The previous evening, after Bree's dinner was over and everyone had left and Bree was in her room, talking on her new Blackberry that she and Carlisle had given her for her birthday, Esme had knocked on Carlisle's study door.

She waited until he called for her to enter.

Carlisle leaned against his desk holding a drink in one hand.

Esme smiled uncertainly at him, "Are you mad at me?"

Carlisle chuckled and put the glass down before he opened his arms and Esme didn't hesitate to close the gap between them as she slipped her hands around his waist, "Never, my beautiful wife. I'm not mad at you; let's just say that I am concerned. Neither you nor Billy knows anything about this girl or woman. The fact that Jas can't find any details on her makes me nervous May. I won't stand in your way if you decide to meet Billy, but there are a few conditions."

Esme nodded up at him, "Let me hear them."

Carlisle kissed her forehead before he grew serious, "First of all, you meet them at the diner so that you can check her out. Secondly, Jas and Edward are going to be keeping a close eye on your meeting and if they see anything that they don't like – the meeting ends there and then." Carlisle could feel Esme stiffen in his arms but he kept talking, "Thirdly, Emmett will do a complete background check on her before she stays on our property." Esme opened her mouth at the last comment, but Carlisle was already shaking his head.

"I'm sorry my precious, but this is not up for discussion. She can work here like any of the seasonal workers do, and she can eat with them in the pickers shed, but at the end of the day, she leaves until we have some answers. Those are my conditions." He said in a firm voice.

Esme stepped away from her husband of almost thirty five years and stared out of his window into the night.

"She doesn't have anyone Carlisle." Esme said quietly.

Carlisle frowned, "You don't know that Esme. I don't understand why you feel so compelled to pull this girl into our family. You are a born earth-mother and you love to mother everyone, but you have never met this girl! She could be a drugged up, spaced out, prostitute for all you know, and you are prepared to have her around our fourteen year old daughter and our grandchildren? I don't think so – please be reasonable about this,"

Esme swung around to face him, "You mean, 'please see things my way', don't you? Do you honestly think that I don't know what a drugged up, spaced out person looks like, Carlisle? Do you think that I have ever forgotten what our son looked like when he came home? Do you?" Esme spat out the words as her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Carlisle crossed the carpet and pulled her stiff and resistant body against his, "Of course I don't think that you have forgotten, Esme! I want to protect you from that! We all do, and that is why I have put those conditions in place." Carlisle used a thumb to brush a stray tear off her soft cheek as he stared into her beautiful eyes that were so like their son's.

"Why do you think that Edward was so alarmed? He knows how much he hurt you, hurt all of us, and he doesn't want you to go through anything like that. He doesn't want you to be devastated like he was, if, well if something happens, like it happened to Jenna. Please Esme." There was no doubt of Carlisle's sincerity in his clear blue eyes and Esme's heart melted.

She reached up and cupped his cheek, "Okay, could she sleep in the shed for a few nights until Emmett has had a chance to do a background check on her? Please?"

Carlisle sighed, "You had better make sure that she understands that there will be no smoking or drinking on our property and she is not to come onto our private land, surrounding the house. She can take her meals with the rest of the daily workers, understood?" He leveled his hard gaze at her and Esme let out a sigh, "Okay, but only because I love you more than ever and I love our dear, misguided, over-protective sons."

Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief and he took extra care that night to demonstrate just how important his wife was to him.

As they lay with their limbs entangled and slightly sweaty, Esme turned her head and kissed Carlisle's chest. She loved the smattering of blonde and grey course hairs – she found them masculine and sexy.

"Thank you for this, Carlisle. I am not sure why I feel so strongly about Bella, but I do." She whispered.

=====HS=====

When Esme saw Bella the next evening, she knew that she would be offering her more than just a position at the farm as a picker.

Esme was struck by the shear vulnerability of the young girl as she almost hid behind Billy Black.

The girl looked thin, too thin and skittish. Her large brown eyes darted around the diner in shock and disbelief at first and Esme had smiled as she saw the girl smile and comment to Billy.

Billy laughed and Esme moved forward to introduce herself.

Esme was dismayed when she stepped forward to shake Bella's hand and the poor child shrank away from her at first as if she was avoiding a blow, before she had reached her a small hand and shook Esme's hand.

Bella sat across the booth from her and Billy. Esme watched the way that Bella clung to her a dirty looking black backpack and another, newer looking canvas laundry bag. When she excused herself to use the bathroom, Esme glared at the diners around them that followed Bella's progress with ill concealed interest, curiosity and some glares of distain.

"Damn small minded town!" Esme snarled.

Billy nodded, "Never going to change their minds, and you know it! Hell, they still call Alice and Rosalie, 'those Whitlock-Hale girls'."

Esme spotted two familiar heads across the diner and narrowed her eyes at the two men in warning, "God help me, look at them! They think that they are being so discreet!"

Billy burst out laughing when he looked over to the men that were 'hiding' behind menus. "I wonder if they care that the menus are upside down."

Billy looked over his shoulder towards the bathroom, before he turned back to Esme, "Look, I don't know what Bella's story is. I don't think that she does drugs. I've only seen her arms and feet when she wore slip on sandals yesterday, and those bags seem to hold everything that she owns in the world, besides a bust up VW Beetle that broke down. She told me that she is from Vegas, but I don't think that she –"

Two shadows fell across the table, as a velvety quiet voice spoke, "You don't think that she is what Billy? Telling the truth? Gee whizz, Jasper, imagine that. Come on, Billy, I could have told you that!" Edward hissed out the last words.

Esme glared at her youngest son, "Edward and Jasper Cullen, you get away from this table right now! I mean it! I agreed that you could keep an eye on things, but now you have gone too far – now get away!"

Edward leaned across the table, as his voice and face grew hard and determined, "Mom, you don't know her! What if she is not as 'harmless' as you say! You have only known her for like what? All of five seconds!"

"Edward Anthony! That will be… _Bella_!" Bella's startled gaze flew up to Esme's mortified face. It was obvious that Bella had heard at least some of her and Edward's heated exchange. Bella's eyes were wide with fear and sheer terror as she looked from Edward to Jasper.

In the next two seconds all conversation came to a halt in the diner. Every eye looked at the newcomer and the Cullen's and Billy Black. Like sharks, they could sense blood in the water.

Esme watched in horror as Bella's face grew even paler than it was before and she shook her head slightly, as she took one step backwards and then another. Billy tried to stop her but he was trapped against the side of the diner.

The next moment, Bella was gone, the entire diner watched in fascination as she stumbled into Becky-Sue Wallace and milkshakes and burgers went flying across the room.

A part of Esme was glad that milkshake and ketchup had landed on about fifteen people. The other part of her watched in disbelief as the thin waif of a girl raced blindly across the street and up Maple Street.

Edward was still staring at the door as if he was frozen in time.

"If you don't find her, Edward, I am going to be so damn mad at you!" Esme growled at her son.

Edward's eyes swung up to meet his mother's glare and for a moment she saw a flicker of emotion, something that she couldn't put her finger on, before it was replaced with a look of guilt and shame.

"I'm sorry Mama, Billy. I didn't mean-"

Esme snorted, "Yes you did! You judged that child just like mostly everyone in this damn place!" Esme stood up and glared around the room, "Well, just so we are clear, that young woman is a friend of ours, Billy, Doc and mine. I would appreciate it if you would treat her like a guest and not like a parasite."

A few of the usual patrons had the grace to look embarrassed, while others put their heads together, lowered their voices and began to whisper.

With less than a thousand people in the town, gossip was a favorite pastime.

"If she has nothing to hide, then why did she run, Mom?" Jasper's quiet voice spoke for the first time.

Esme picked up her purse as she stared down at the table, "Because she is alone and frightened, Jasper! Did you ever think of _that_?"

Without looking at either one of her sons, Esme got up from the table and walked over to pay for the spilt food as well as their drinks and uneaten order.

Jessica greeted her quietly at the till, "Esme, please, there is nothing to pay for. I'm sorry about what happened. Beth was saying that Bella seems like a lovely girl."

Esme smiled, "Thanks Jess. I'm sorry that I've been too outspoken in your diner."

Jessica grinned at her, "Oh come on! I upset people in here every day!"

Esme called Carlisle and she was pleased that he didn't sound pleased with the boys. He promised her that he and Bree would take a drive around the neighhood and see if they could see someone that fitted Bella's description, but Carlisle reminded Esme that if she was homeless, she was probably very adept at finding hiding places.

Esme and Billy walked around for close to an hour but there was no trace of her.

At last Billy walked Esme back to her car. "There are only seven hundred and fifty people in this town, Billy, and only so many places she could hide! Where could she be?"

Billy patted her hand, "Esme, there is more open land here than anywhere beside Canada, she could be anywhere. Look, she knows your name, she knows where Jake's garage is.. She shouldn't be cold and she ate at lunch-time. I'm sure that she has some water and fruit with her – come on, go home, she should be fine."

Esme nodded and she climbed into the double cab utility vehicle with the farm's logo on it.

When she got home, Carlisle and Bree were waiting on the porch for her.

She greeted them quietly and then she told them what had happened in detail.

"I'm sorry, Babe, I know that you are disappointed, but I'm sure that she will turn up, sooner or later. She will go back to Jake's place and he will direct her here. What Edward and Jasper did was a little gung-ho, but you can't really blame them –" Carlisle said in his best soothing 'doctor' voice.

Esme was off the porch step and through the front door in a flash, leaving Carlisle scratching his head in confusion, _what had he said?_

Bree got up slowly and walked to the door. She looked at Carlisle over her shoulder and Carlisle saw that cocky smirk that she and Edward shared, as she raised an eyebrow, "Really Daddy? _Gung-ho_? Way to go to be sensitive and supportive." Bree sighed and shook her head before she walked back to her father and kissed his cheek, "I will bring a pillow and blanket downstairs for you – that's if you aren't sleeping at –" Brianna got no further than that as a small bag was tossed onto the wooden porch.

They both turned to find Esme standing in the doorway with her hands on her slim, denim covered hips, "You had better get going, mister. Before Emmett locks up for the night! Come on Brianna!" Esme snapped before she whirled around and walked inside again. The screen door slammed shut.

Father and daughter winced before they looked at each other with similar grins. "Night Dad, I will see you in the morning." Brianna said as she walked to the door.

Carlisle grumbled to himself as he got up and picked up the bag. He walked around the house to the garage.

He thought about his wife as he drove the short distance to his oldest son's home. Esme was just about the most loving, nurturing soul anyone could find, but what strangers would never guess about her was that beneath her lovable exterior was a temper that was rivaled only by their middle child's. She and Edward not only shared similar eye and hair color – they both had an Irish temper that was like Vesuvius they were pushed too hard. The rest of the family used to call Edward _Nitro Glycerin_, because of his volatility and his unpredictable temper – they never knew when he was going to explode.

As Edward got older, Carlisle had encouraged him to channel his temper into various sporting activities. Edward had been captain of the Track team, captain of the baseball team and surprisingly, he had been awarded several awards for music. He had begun to play the piano at the tender age of four, with his grandmother, Carlisle's mother, who was the music teacher at the local school. Edward had taken to the piano like a duck to water.

At one time, they had thought that he would go to Julliard, but instead, he had chosen to follow his father into medicine.

Thankfully, after the 'rebellious years' were over, Edward's temper had seemed to settle down.

Carlisle glanced down at the bag on the seat next to him; Esme on the other hand was more of a spit-fire than ever. He grinned as he pulled into the driveway, he wouldn't want her any other way!

Ten minutes later he knocked on the front door of the butter-cream shingled house, Emmett pulled the door open and grinned at his father.

"Your room's all ready for you, Dad. Come on in, have you eaten?"

Carlisle dropped his bag next to the staircase and ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm starving, actually. We were waiting for your mom to get home and then, well, that didn't go so well."

Emmett chuckled as he led the way into the modern open plan kitchen. The house was similar to Carlisle's and Esme's in style, but Emmett had completely remodeled the farm house style home five years earlier when he and Rosalie had bought the place.

The bottom consisted of a great room that included the kitchen, dining room and sitting room. There was a large home office on one side with a bathroom next to it and the back porch had been enclosed and it had become the den/play room for the children.

Rosalie was sitting on a large sofa, drinking a glass of wine as they walked inside. She smiled at Carlisle as she got up and kissed his cheek, "I can't believe that you actually said that Edward and Jasper were a little 'gung-ho' to Esme, Carlisle!"

Carlisle took their good natured ribbing as he sat down at the large butcher's block island and Rosalie put a plate of fried chicken and various salads' in front of him.

Emmett pulled two beers from the fridge and passed one on to his father as he sat opposite him.

"Okay, so spill the beans. Did mom tell you anything else about this girl, Bell or whatever her name is?"

Carlisle spent the next few minutes telling them what Esme had told him.

Rosalie shook her head, "Well Alice is just as mad at Jasper as Mom is! She phoned here a little while ago and told me that Jasper is either sleeping in his car, a spare cell down at the police station or here!"

Just then there was a soft knock at the front door and Emmett looked up with a grin, "Just as well you made up the other spare bed, Babe! Looks like we have a full house tonight!"

Rosalie snorted and she turned to the oven, where she removed a second covered dish. Carlisle looked at his daughter-in-law in amusement, "You knew he would end up here?"

"Of course! Esme would shoot him if he went there and last I heard, Edward was still walking around the streets looking for her."

Just then Jasper walked in with a bemused look on his face, "Hey Dad, so we are sharing tonight?"

Carlisle nodded as he put another fork of food in his mouth, "Seems that way, Son."

Emmett waited until Rosalie went to check on the children, who were upstairs bathing before he looked at his father and brother, "I've put in a couple of calls to some P.I friends on the west coast. They will see if there are any missing person reports matching her description and also they will check state records, juvie hall. I know it's a long shot, but it's worth trying."

=====HS=====

Edward walked into his house just after ten that night. He was tired, pissed off, frustrated and he was feeling more than a little exasperated with the entire night's events.

After his mother had stormed out of the diner, he and Jasper had tried to follow the route that the girl might have taken, but there was no trace of her. They looked in yards, in alleyways, behind the stores, near and even in dumpsters but there was nothing. Not a sign of her.

Edward felt terrible that he had driven her to run, but Jasper's words kept plaguing him.

_If she had nothing to hide, then why had she run?_

Roscoe greeted him enthusiastically. Edward had decided to leave him at the house, when he had come back to change and to get another flashlight, because he didn't want to scare Bella more than he already had.

_**Bella**_.

The name suited her, if that was her name.

He had only seen her for a short time, but the memory of those chocolate brown eyes, that delicate nose, pale skin and full mouth was burned into his memory. Her mouth, dear lord, her mouth looked delicious. He hadn't seen much of her hair, because she had pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up, but he had seen brownish strands around her long, slim neck.

Her figure was slight and almost boyish, but there was nothing boyish about her tiny waist or the small swell of her breasts or her ass. He licked his lips subconsciously, what an ass – it was made for his hands.

"What the fuck am I _doing_?" He asked himself in bewilderment. "I'm thinking about a woman, who is possibly a runaway or stowaway or jailbait because she doesn't look older than my sister, and she has probably been on the streets for God knows how long doing despicable things! Snap out of it Cullen!"

Roscoe looked up at Edward with a grin, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth as his golden eyes danced in merriment.

Edward rolled his eyes, "Yeah, you can laugh all you want, 'fluffy'; we'll see who's laughing when I take away your visiting rights to Miss Taffy down the road!"

Roscoe stopped smiling and turned his back on Edward. Roscoe loved Miss Taffy, the golden retriever from down the road with all his heart.

Edward walked to the fridge and pulled out left over's from the previous night's dinner. Like all of the Cullen children, Edward could cook and bake better than most people. Esme had taught her children to cook, and bake from when they were old enough to stand on a stool at the counter. They were taught to mix, beat, and mould and later chop and prepare various dishes.

Cooking had always been a family affair, with everyone pitching in to prepare and clean up meals, especially when it was planting or harvest time and Esme was out in the orchards, groves and field's from four in the morning.

The best leftovers were his mother's and he seldom left his parents home without taking enough leftovers for at least another meal.

He warmed up the clam bake that had accompanied the previous night's birthday dinner and he ate it at his counter with a chunk of crusty bread.

Roscoe waited as patiently as he could for his master to finish eating before he raced to the front door and waited.

Edward ran up the stairs and changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt before he put his running shoes on and he was on his way downstairs when he heard his dog whine impatiently.

Edward chuckled, "Okay, Boy. Just let me get your leash."

He pulled the leather leash from the welsh dresser that stood in his entrance hall and clipped it onto Roscoe's collar before he opened the front door.

Roscoe danced around his feet as they went down the front steps and across the dark yard. Once they had crossed the road to the park, Edward took the leash off and Roscoe danced away from him.

Edward had missed his run that morning, due to an outbreak of summer influenza in the area, and he lengthened his pace until he broke into an easy run.

The two companions ran around the far side of the large lake and Edward had to keep a watchful eye on Roscoe to make sure that he didn't get himself lost in the woods that bordered the area.

They turned towards the direction of the house and Edward cut across the lawn to the path that ran parallel with the lake. Once they got to the gazebo, Edward slowed down and he walked over to a bench that faced the lake and began his cool down routine.

After a while he looked around and noticed that Roscoe was missing. He shook his head, first the girl and now the dog!

He whistled in a short sharp sound. He spotted the lively dog standing next to the gazebo.

"Come on, Boy, let's go home." He said. Roscoe raced back to him, but when he moved off towards his home, the mischievous two year old once again darted to the gazebo.

"Ross, come on, now!" Edward said sternly.

Roscoe repeated the same maneuver three times before Edward realized that his dog wanted him to follow.

Edward frowned, what on earth was there? Probably a mole or some other little critter, Roscoe was one of the most intelligent dogs that Edward had ever encountered, but he was not the bravest.

He was afraid of moths, mice, butterflies and bees. Thunder sent him under the bed and he hated getting his paws wet, which made him miserable when the winter set in!

Edward sighed, "You know you are more work than a woman, Ross, I swear…damn!"

The woman or girl that had been on his mind all evening was curled up in a corner of the gazebo. She lay on her side on the floor, her knees tucked under her chin. Edward stood motionless on the bottom step, wondering what he should do.

Her thin arms were wrapped around her two bags protectively and she had tucked her hands under her cheek. Edward stared at the girls pouty lips that looked so pink and soft. Her long dark eyelashes cast shadows over her cheeks.

_She is so beautiful_, Edward thought to himself. There was something about her that made him want to wrap her up in his arms and protect her. She looked so small and lonely.

_What has happened to you, little one, to make you stray so far away from people that love you? Are you loved? Who is missing you? Is anyone looking for you?_

The thought of someone coming to take her away caused a knot in the pit of Edward's stomach.

_What the fuck am I thinking?_ He shook his head to clear it.

After giving it careful thought, he retreated and quickly clipped Roscoe's leash on. He took several steps away from the structure and pulled his phone out of the inside pouch in his shorts and hit a number.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I found her. I found Bella." He said quietly as his green eyes strayed to the sleeping beauty again.

=====HS=====

Ten minutes later, Edward turned and he watched his mother make her way across the lawn.

She dispensed with pleasantries as she neared him, "Where is she? I hope that you didn't scare the bejesus out of her again… why are you shushing me?" Esme was still mad at her sons and husband.

Edward pointed over his shoulder, "She is sleeping in the gazebo. I didn't wake her up because I didn't want to frighten her, that's why I called you. I thought that she could do with a familiar face."

Esme nodded and mother and son stood in an awkward silence before Edward broke it, "Well, I'd better be getting on." Edward said quietly.

Esme sighed, "Edward, stay. Look I know that you are only looking out for me, but I just don't think that she is dangerous. You don't have to like her or have anything to do with her, but just think – what if we had been that way with you? What if we had judged you? What if we had never given you another chance? That's all I'm asking for here – another chance. Can you do that for me?"

Edward dropped his chin to his chest. He knew that she was right. He wanted to get to know this woman, but he didn't say that to his mother, who would probably smack him right there.

After a moment he looked into Esme's eyes and nodded, "Okay, but will you please be cautious? For me?"

Esme smiled and she reached up and kissed his cheek, "Thank you Darling."

With that she turned and walked up the steps.

Bella had fallen into an uneasy sleep and when she heard the footfall on the wood she shot up into a crouched position.

"Get the fuck away from me!" she snarled, her eyes wild with fear, her body ready to pounce.

Esme stopped in her tracks. She shook her head at as she heard Edward hiss behind her.

"Isabella? Bella? It's me; it's Esme! You are safe, honey, it's okay. You are safe, I promise. No one is going to hurt you or take you away." Esme crooned talking as she would to any frightened or injured animal that she came across.

Bella blinked several times as her mind cleared from it's terrified frozen state and as her eyes adjusted, she recognized the small, slim woman in front of her. A movement behind Esme caused Bella to push herself against the timber of the seat.

"Who – who the fuck is that? Is that, is that a _dog_?" she hated the tremor in her voice, hated that it showed that she was weak.

Esme extended a hand towards the frightened girl, "That is Edward, my son, and his dog, Roscoe. They found you and Edward called me. We have been looking for you for hours, Sweetie. Would you like to come to my house? To my farm? I have a spare bed that you can sleep in and then you and I can talk in the morning." Esme kept her voice low and soft.

Bella stared at the tall, imposing figure behind Esme for a moment, "Is he coming with us?"

Roscoe whined at looked up at his master. He had no idea why the human was staring at him in fear. He was a lover, not a fighter! Edward shook his head at his friend, silently telling him, _not now, boy_.

"No, he isn't. He lives near here, that's how he found you. Please come home with me, Bella. I promise that you will be safe with us."

Bella took a shaky breath, "What about that cop that was with him?"

Edward bristled at the hostility in Bella's voice when she said the word 'him' as if he was some sort of criminal.

Bella bit her bottom lip and Edward didn't miss the movement. _How could anyone look that enchanting and be that annoying?_ He thought to himself, but before he could say anything, Esme spoke up again.

"That is my second son, Jasper."

Bella frowned, "Jasper? Jasper Cullen? Oh! I thought his surname was Jasper. I spoke to him, Billy told me to call him to check that Billy was safe to drive with."

When Edward snorted in disbelief, Esme turned around and glared at him, "Edward, why don't you go home now? Bella and I will be fine."

Edward shook his head, "I'll walk you, both to your car."

Esme wanted to argue but she didn't think that it was the right time, so she just huffed and turned back to Bella.

Bella stood up slowly. She was still afraid, but she felt that she could trust this woman, just as she had trusted Billy and Pat.

"Okay." Bella said quietly.

Esme's pretty face broke into the sweetest smile, "Okay? Oh good! Come on, before it gets too late. I still have some dinner left over, I'm sure that you must be hungry, seeing as my over protective sons interrupted us earlier."

Bella held her bags against her chest and she kept her eyes on Esme as she stepped forward. Esme walked out of the gazebo with Bella following behind her.

Bella looked at the man that she had seen earlier. She didn't think that she had ever seen anyone as beautiful as Edward Cullen. He was staring at her with an intensity that Bella should have found frightening, but her skin felt alive and the slight curl of excitement in her stomach told her that he was a very dangerous person to be around.

His eyes were mesmerizing, and Bella dropped her gaze quickly. His hair was sticking up all over the place. He looked as if he had been jogging or running with his dog, because he looked sweaty and slightly disheveled. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and Edward almost groaned aloud at the sight of the pearly teeth sinking over that plump bottom lip, he wanted to – _WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, ASSHOLE?_ His mind screamed to him. He was getting all excited over a fucking homeless piece of jailbait!

When Bella looked up again, she was shocked to see the glare of hostility glittering in Edward's eyes and for a moment, she was afraid of him. His face was cast in shadows, his eyes looked black and frightening. His body seemed larger than life and when Bella looked down she saw the outline of his dog, standing by his side, ready to attack.

She stumbled in her hast to try and move as far away from him as possible and the next thing she was on the grass, on her hands and knees, and the giant monster dog was moving closer…

"NNNNOOOO!" Bella screamed as she threw her hands over her head to protect her face and she cowered against the side of the gazebo.

Edward jumped back and Roscoe darted behind his master, ready to run for the safe haven of his house.

"Fuck!" Edward hissed. He reached forward to help Bella to her feet, but Esme got there first.

"Leave her!" She said and she knelt beside the shaking girl. She looked back at Edward and her voice softened slightly, "I think that you should take Ross home, Sweetie. I will phone you later, I promise. Will you call Jasper, Billy and your father, they will want to know that she is safe."

Edward wanted to protest, but he knew by the stubborn set of his mother's jaw that she was not going to relent.

"Okay – please don't forget to phone me, or else I'm coming over." he said and Esme could see that he meant it.

She nodded, and placed her hand gently on Bella's curved back. Bella was shaking so hard that she barely felt the touch. Esme felt tears spring to her eyes as she felt the girl trembling beneath her fingers.

_What had happened to her? What had been done to her to make her so afraid?_

Esme instinctively stroked the thin back and shoulders, as she crooned words of comfort. The girl felt so thin and fragile!

"Ssshh, it's okay, Bella. They have gone, Sweetie. Come on, let's get you home." Esme crooned as she brushed the thick hair off the wet face.

Bella slowly unfurled from her fetal position. She wiped her face on her sleeve and lifted her head.

Esme had told the truth. Edward and his monster dog were gone.

"Can you get up?" Esme asked.

Bella nodded and she slowly got to her feet before she brushed off the knees of her jeans.

Esme wanted to help her carry her belongings, but she had seen in the diner how possessive Bella was and so she let her pick up the two bags before Esme began to walk in the direction of the white Explorer that Carlisle had bought her for her last birthday.

Bella's eyes widened as they got closer to the SUV, "Is that you car?"

Esme nodded, "Its lovely isn't it? Carlisle, that's my husband, bought it for me for my birthday in June this year."

Bella shot Esme a small smile, "My birthday was in June as well."

"What date? I'm on the sixth of June."

Bella smiled again, "Yeah, my birthday is on the thirteenth." She snorted, "You know, unlucky thirteen, not that I believe in that shit, um, sorry, in that nonsense, but yeah…" Bella realized that she was rambling and she stopped talking as Esme slid the keys from her jeans pocket and pushed the button to open the doors.

"In you go, you can just put your bags on the seat next to you."

Esme walked around the side of her car and looked up to just be able to make out the outline of Edward sitting on his porch railing, watching them. Her mouth lifted in a smile, her son was almost as stubborn as she was, and she had known that he would keep a watch over them. Esme lifted her hand in a farewell salute and she could almost hear his rueful chuckle as he responded by lifting his own hand.

Edward had wasted no time in returning to his house. He had quickly filled the water bowl that stood next to the front door before he had pulled a bottle of cold water from the fridge and he quickly discarded his socks and shoes before he returned to sit on the railing of the porch that wrapped around the entire bottom floor of his house.

For the first time in ages, Edward was not soothed by the peacefulness of the evening. Instead, he was completely focused on the two figures next to the gazebo. He watched as his mother, helped Bella to her feet after a while.

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw and heard the Explorer's alarm deactivate. As his mother walked around to her door, she half turned and he was sure that she gave him a half smile before she lifted her hand in a wave.

As the car pulled away Edward let out a breath. He pulled out his phone and dialed his parent's home number.

"Cullen residence, this is Bree."

"Hey squirt, can I talk to Dad?"

Bree giggled, "He's not here, Eddie. Mom blow her top with him earlier and then she sent him off to Emmet's for the night."

Edward frowned, "What did they fight about?"

Bree laughed, "Well he took yours and Jasper's side of the 'reconnaissance mission' and mom wasn't amused."

Edward ran his free hand through his hair, "Shit! Okay, well Mom is on her way home with – with Bella. Listen Bree, I've got to go, but do me a favor and make sure that the front door is locked tonight, yeah?"

"But-"

"Don't argue, just do it, okay?"

"Okay"

Edward disconnected the call and phoned Emmett's house, he wasn't surprised when Emmett picked up on the second ring, "Hey there 'Recon Man' how's things?"

Edward wasn't amused, "Shut it, dickwad; let me speak to Dad."

Emmett let out a bark of laughter, "Whatever, man, but just so you know, Jasper is here too."

"Fuck," Edward mumbled, that meant that he was in trouble with his sister-in-law as well. It was never a good idea to cross Alice or Rosalie.

"Hey Edward, did you find her?"

"I did actually. She was sleeping in the gazebo. I called mom and she came to get her."

"Are you at the farm?"

"No, mom told me to come home and to phone you and Jasper, to let you know."

"I don't like the idea of a stranger on the property without any of us being there." Edward could hear the anxiety in his father's voice.

"I know. She didn't tell me that you weren't at home, otherwise I would have insisted…"

Carlisle gave a snort, "Not bloody likely, Son. She is not in the most reasonable of moods tonight. I think that I'll give Bree a call."

"I spoke to Bree and made her promise to lock the front door tonight."

Carlisle gave a huff, "This is ridiculous! Your mother is being so damn stubborn, but I daren't go home now. I'm not sure what else I can do, though."

"Hopefully this girl is just passing through and our lives can get back to normal soon." Edward ignored the niggling feeling in his chest as he thought of Bella leaving Hope Springs.

He knew that it would be for the best – for all of them.

Edward called Roscoe inside and quickly took a shower. He dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, grabbed his phone from his bed, and made his way back downstairs.

Instead of a cup of tea, he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer. Even in his wild days, he had never had an addiction to alcohol.

_Just every other narcotic_… the small voice in his head sneered.

Even after all this time and therapy, Edward still had moments of doubt and guilt. He sometimes wondered if the guilt over what he had put his family through would ever go away.

The councilor told him that he would always feel regret, but the guilt would fade with time.

Edward shook his head as he took a sip of his beer and stared out at the night sky. He seldom allowed himself to think of that time.

He knew how lucky he was. He knew how blessed he was and he never took his sobriety or health for granted. As soon as he was well, Edward had embarked on a mission to be as healthy as possible. He mostly lived a transparent life with his family, allowing them access into his home and his life so that they could be assured that he had nothing to hide.

The only problem with that was that they all thought that they all had carte blanche to interfere in his life as well.

After – _her_, _Jenna,_ Edward had been very careful not to get involved with another woman. Sure, he dated every now and again, but he just went through the motions. He smiled and chatted, he was a perfect gentleman, but there was never a second date with the same person.

He found himself thinking back to the tumble of thick, hair, the pale, thin face and the eyes that looked like molten chocolate.

Edward groaned and face palmed, "Oh, fuck it! What am I doing? I need to get laid, that's the problem!"

Just then his phone rang, and Emmett's home number flashed on the screen, "Hello?"

"Edward, I spoke to Billy and he is going to give Esme a call. He will phone once he has spoken to her."

"Good."

Carlisle sighed, "Yeah, well, you should get some sleep, Son. You have morning surgery tomorrow."

Edward mumbled under his breath, "You love the fact that I do three Saturday's out of four, don't you?"

Carlisle chuckled, "I can't deny that, Son. I'll stop by the office in the morning and see what the appointment book looks like."

They said good night and Edward finished his beer and he made his way inside. He turned the lights out and locked the front door.

The only reason that he locked his front door was because he had woken up one morning to find his mother and Alice going through his closet to see if he needed new winter clothes as they were planning a shopping trip in the city.

That had been the last straw and Edward had the changed the locks on his house changed that morning. Now it was just his next door neighbors, Mrs. Felicity Cope and her husband Don, who had a key to his place.

That was also a risk, as Mrs. Cope was the town crier as far as gossip went, but he knew that Don would not allow his wife to snoop around when Edward wasn't there. Felicity Cope ran the post office and her husband owned and ran Green Fingers, an organic plant nursery.

As he ran his hand up the banister, Edward hummed a tune that had been playing in his head for the past several hours. Edward turned and his walked into his music room. He pulled out several blank staff paper and a pencil from the cup of pencils on the small table that stood next to the window.

Edward opened his piano and stuck the pencil behind one ear before he flexed his fingers and stared at the keyboard.

Twenty minutes later Edward threw his pencil across the room with an expletive.

Every time his finger touched the keys, her face would swim into view. Each time he closed his eyes, he could see her face, hear her sweet, melodious voice.

Finally Edward stared across the room blindly searching for an answer – _she, Bella, is this melody! Just go with it, get it out of your system! Let go and then you can forget about her!_

Edward didn't fight the voice, this time, when he closed his eyes, he embraced the fact that her image danced in his head, the quick smile that he had seen earlier. That plump, and entirely too tempting bottom lip and how she bit, chewed and sucked it, made his shorts tighten.

Edward stopped playing for a moment to re-adjust him self. Fuck!

=====HS=====

It was almost midnight and Carlisle lay wide-awake in bed staring at the ceiling of his son's spare bedroom. His phone rang and he answered quickly, "Doc. Cullen here"

"I'm sorry!" Esme's soft voice made his heart ache.

"I was an ass!" he admitted.

Esme chuckled before she sighed sadly, "And I was an unreasonable bitch. This bed is too big without you, I miss you."

"I will be home in ten minutes."

Esme felt her heart flutter, "I will be waiting, I just need to unlock the front door. Edward found Bella; she is sleeping in the shed." Esme said by way of explanation.

"You locked the door?" Carlisle was so pleased.

"Of course. You may not think that I hear you, but I do. Come home, Carlisle."

Emmett and Jasper were sharing a nightcap when Carlisle came down the steps in his sleep pants, T-shirt and sneakers.

Emmett looked up with a grin, "I was wondering how long it would take her to call you."

Carlisle shrugged, "I was getting worried myself. She held out longer than she has before. Night Boys."

"Night Dad." Both of the boys said.

=====HS=====

After working on the music for an hour and getting more and more distracted by the thick, hardness in his pants, Edward finally made his way upstairs. He undressed and let his clothes drop to the floor.

He needed relief. Edward lay on his bed and opened the drawer next to it. He pulled out a small bottle of lube and put some on the palm of his right hand.

He hissed as his fingers flicked his piercing. "Fuuuck!" he moaned aloud.

He took his thick length in his hand and began to firmly pump his cock. He didn't give into the temptation to pump himself hard and fast, instead he teased himself. He mixed up his touch, cupping his balls, tugging on them almost lazily as he flicked his piercing again and then he brought himself to the brink of orgasm over and over until his hand was covered in pre-cum and his body was covered in sweat and he was writhing, panting.

In his mind he saw Bella. Her hair was a curtain around them as she rode his cock. Her small breasts would bounce as he gripped her hips and slammed her down over him.

Then he was pushing her up against the wall as he gripped her under her arms, her legs would wrap around him like a vine and he would push his hard cock deep into her bare little pussy.

"Yes! Bella!" he shouted as he twisted his length and his cum shot over his hips, chest and sheet.

Edward lay panting in disbelief. He had not ejaculated that hard in – well he didn't know when. He knew that he should feel guilty that he had masturbated to the image of a girl that didn't look much older than his sister, but the hardening of his cock told him that it would be a waste of time and emotion.

He climbed off his bed and walked into the shower. After palming his hard on twice more, and using his entire supply of hot water, Edward climbed out of the shower and dried himself.

He quickly shaved to save himself sometime in the morning.

He looked at his clock as he pulled the sheets off his bed and fetched new ones.

1.37 a.m.

_What the fuck?_

He had been zoned out for almost four and a half hours! _Playing the piano, beating off like a horny fifteen year old to a playboy poster! _

"If Em only knew, he would definitely tell me to come out of the closet!"

After he had remade the bed in plain white, no nonsense cotton sheets, Edward threw himself across the bed and he fell into a self loving induced sleep.

Three and a half hours later, the brash and intrusive alarm sounded, sending Edward into an upright position before he slammed the snooze button and flopped down on the mattress.

Nine minutes later the alarm began again.

"FUCKING HELL IN A FUCKING HAND BASKET! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" The cuss words coming out of his mouth woke him up.

None of the Cullen men really used 'bad' language. The occasional cuss word would slip out, but it was only Edward that had picked up the habit when he had broken away from the family. Over the past eight years, he had broken the need to use 'fuck' in every sentence – until now it seemed.

Edward forced himself to get out of bed and he quickly pulled on a pair of running shorts, sock, and sneakers. One look outside and he left the T-shirt off. He pulled a baseball cap onto his mop of hair and turned it backwards before he jogged lightly down the stairs.

Roscoe was waiting at the front door.

"Hey Boy! Come on; let's get the cobwebs out of our brains!"

He clipped the leash onto Roscoe's collar and grinned at the disgusted look that his dog gave him, "Sorry buddy, but you are not running off into the woods today."

Edward began at a slow but steady pace as he ran around the parameter of Dorset Common. One of the loves of Edward's life was Central Park in New York City. It was a place that he had escaped to whenever he was feeling pressured, down or out of control. It was where he had been the night that he had decided to go home.

The night that he had gone back to his apartment and he had found Jenna laying on the floor in a pool of blood and vomit.

Edward shook his head and concentrated on the sound of his feet slapping the walkway in the growing dawn.

After their run, Edward fed Roscoe before he made himself a quick but nutritious breakfast and he made sure that the dog had water in the spacious back yard, along with his basket of toys and his 'deluxe outdoor sleeper' that he had received from Esme and Carlisle for Christmas the previous year.

Edward made his way upstairs and he showered, shaved, and dressed in his 'Saturday casual attire' of dark jeans, T-shirt with a button down dress shirt over it.

Downstairs Edward shouted good bye to Roscoe, made sure that he had his wallet, keys and his sunglasses, which he shoved onto his nose as he closed the door.

He decided to walk to the surgery, which was only three hours on a Saturday. He and Carlisle shared the 'on call' hours, with each of them having two days 'on' and one day 'off'.

Edward unlocked the office which was a renovated house just across the town square. He greeted the surgery cat, Milo, who was waiting for him at the door.

"Hey Milo, were you out whoreing the neighborhood again? You dirty dog – sorry, dirty cat, you! Dude, haven't you realized that you were neuted last year?" Edward said in amusement at his own joke. The cat was a ladies man and flirted with humans and felines alike.

Milo, an oversized ginger striped tom cat glared at Edward with his green eyes before he swept inside the office and immediately walked into the kitchenette area to wait for his food. No one actually knew where Milo came from; he just appeared one morning, about a week after Edward had moved back home and he had stayed. He was fed by however was around, he cruised the neighborhood shops, and was spoilt wherever he went.

Edward's phone rang and he answered it when he saw the caller I.D. "Hey Dad, how are things?"

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the phone before Carlisle answered, "Well, it looks as if Blue Bonnet Farms has a new employee."

Edward's head dropped to his chest, now he would have to see her again! Shit! He could feel his ears burning as he mumbled something incoherent to his father.

"What was that son?"

"Nothing Dad, have you met her at least?" Edward's hand raked through his hair.

"I have. Your mother phoned me last night and invited me for breakfast. Bella is – quite an enigma. Your mother and sister seem quite taken with her. Look, I'm just about to leave to come to the surgery; we can talk when I get there."

Edward chuckled; his parents 'arguments' were legendary. They fought and then Esme would tell Carlisle to leave, only to call him to come home.

Edward put the phone down and stared at his feet for a few seconds.

He felt that same feeling in the pit of his stomach as he had the previous day.

He didn't know how, or why, or even when, but he knew that somehow, this girl, _Bella_, was going to change everything.

He could feel it.

_FUCK!_

**A/N: He had better watch his mouth or else his Mama is going to wash his mouth out with soap or box his ears! So, some self loving is better than no loving – you are going to have to be patient with these two, they are taking the long way around, so please be prepared for a slower burn than plu.**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I hope that this year is everything and more than you could ever hope or dream for yourselves.**

**Love, hugs and smooches,**

**Michele**

**xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 4…**_

_**Edward put the phone down and stared at his feet for a few seconds.**_

_**He felt that same feeling in the pit of his stomach as he had the previous day. **_

_**He didn't know how, or why, or even when, but he knew that somehow, this girl, Bella, was going to change everything.**_

_**He could feel it.**_

_**FUCK!**_

**CHAPTER 5 – SAFE HAVEN**

Esme glanced at Bella as she drove down Charring Cross Road and turned right onto Maple Drive and drove away from town.

Bella sat in the furthest corner of the car, her small body pushed up against the door.

"Honey, don't lean on the door like that – I always told my kids that, just in case the door opens while I am driving.

Bella was biting her bottom lip as she wondered the wisdom of her actions. This woman was a complete stranger to her. How did Bella know that she wasn't the bait in some sex ring?

People thought that terrors like that didn't exist, but she had overheard too many conversations between Simon Rawlings and the low life's that he used to smoke pot with in the back yard.

"_She would fetch a good price, Simon!"_

"_Yeah, she would but the little cocktease is monitored by the fucking child services, they would notice if she wasn't here. It was all we could do to get them to believe that she is being home schooled! I'd like to home school her to suck my c-"_

Bella shook her head; she was safe now. She looked around but apart from the occasional farm house through trees, she only saw what looked like fields and trees – lots of trees.

"Are we close to your house?" Bella asked quietly.

Esme nodded, "Yes, look up ahead, see that sign?"

Bella looked up and she saw the sign that read 'BLUE BONNET FARM AND ORCHARDS – ONLY THE BEST WILL DO!'

"Why is your farm called Bluebonnet?" Bella asked quietly.

Esme smiled, "Well, that's a great story. When my husband's grandparents came here from Texas, Eleazar Cullen brought his new wife, Carmen and a wagon of carpentry tools, enough money to buy some supplies and a bag of seeds that Carmen had collected from the meadow behind her parents' house. She had also brought apple seeds with her."

"Eleazar's father had made a small fortune in oil and Eleazar came to find his own fortune. Well the oil was a non starter here in Vermont, but the seeds from the apples, peaches, plums and apricots as well as her blue bonnet seeds took to the fertile soil and within ten years they owned the largest farm in the area."

Esme stopped talking and Bella saw that they had stopped about fifty feet from an enormous double storey house.

Esme turned to Bella, "Bella, this is our home. Now I have known Billy Black for a long time and if he says that you can be trusted, I believe him. I know that you are scared to trust anyone and I have the feeling that you have been very hurt before, but I want you to know that you are safe here. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Bella stared at the older woman and for a moment she felt that same feeling as when her son looked at her. It was as if Esme could see into her very soul.

Bella nodded, "Yes, I – um, thank you."

Esme smiled, "Come on, let me show you where you will be sleeping."

She opened the door and Bella followed slowly. They were a good way from the house and Bella wondered if she was meant to sleep outside somewhere, maybe under a lean-to.

It was only when Bella got out of the car that she noticed that Esme had parked next to a huge red and white building.

"Oh!" Bella said in surprise.

Esme laughed, "This is our storage barn. It also has a separate small room."

Esme opened the small door within the huge sliding doors. The light was on and besides smelling faintly of oil the room was spotless. There were lights on the walls but Bella could see the gigantic lights that swung from the rafters at the loft height.

"Wow, this place is huge!"

Esme laughed, "I suppose it is. But this is our small shed and that's why we put our spare equipment in here. There is another large storage shed and there is also the cattle barn. Now, let's get you settled. I'm sorry that it's not fancy or anything…" Esme said in embarrassment as she opened a door on one side of the building.

Even though she was angry at Carlisle, she would never go against his wishes and he had specifically said that he did not want Bella on their private property. Esme knew that as soon as he met Bella, he would relent and perhaps even allow her to move into the apartment above their garage.

She turned the light on stepped to one side and motioned for Bella to step inside.

Bella saw a single bed in one corner of the room. There was a small dresser next to the bed and a chair in one corner. The bed had been covered with a pretty patchwork comforter and the pillows looked plump and inviting.

"There's a bathroom through that door." Esme said as she tried not to feel so guilty for letting this girl sleep in their 'shed.'

Bella gazed around the room. This was more than she had ever had before. She had never had her own room. Sleeping in her car was the first time that she had ever slept alone, except for when Simon had moved her mattress into the storage closet in an attempt to get her alone. There was even a tiny bar fridge and a kettle with one plate, a mug, and some cutlery.

_Wow._

Esme watched the look of awe and wonder on Bella's face and she wondered what sort of conditions she had lived in before if she was so happy with this room?

"It's, it's great, Esme. Wow, are you sure that this is okay with, um, your family?" Bella didn't want that Edward or Jasper or some angry strange man waking her up and screaming at her to get out of his house.

"My husband has reservations, but he is willing to let you sleep here for the time-being. We will see how things go for now." Esme didn't want to lie to Bella. She would rather tell her the truth, than to let her find out later that Carlisle wasn't too happy with her presence.

"You can put your clothes in the dresser drawers and if you have something that needs washing, you can just bring it up to the house, or you can leave it outside your door in the morning. I am up at four thirty. I check on the animals and make sure that everything is running smoothly and then I check on our daily workers and make sure that Cook has everything that he needs to prepare breakfast. How about I come and fetch you tomorrow and you can see the property as I do my rounds? You can also meet the farm manager, the livestock supervisor as well as the fresh produce manager."

Bella felt completely overwhelmed by the information that Esme was shooting at her and she said the first thing that she could think of, "I don't want to work with animals."

The thought of working with animals scared the shit out of Bella.

Simon had kept two Dobermans chained to his fence, in his overrun back yard and whenever one of the kids got too 'feisty', they would be put outside for a spell. After Bella had been forced to spend two days outside just after she had gone to live with the Rawlings because she had refused to put her clothes into the communal pile, no one had ever gotten too feisty again and Bella had become terrified of animals.

The result was that Bella only had the clothes that she had worn and a few of her belongings that she had managed to salvage before she ran away.

Esme smiled gently, "Are you sure? They are awfully cute?"

Bella shook her head quickly, "When will I get paid? I need to go and see that Jake guy about my car and find out how much it will cost."

"Well, our workers are paid weekly, each Friday. And I can take you into town tomorrow to see what your car will cost to fix, would that be okay?"

Bella nodded. Just then her stomach grumbled. Bella put her hand over her stomach. _The baby was getting more demanding!_ She knew that these people couldn't find out about the baby because they would make her give it up or they would throw her out. Tyler had told her that when she had refused to get an abortion at the free clinic.

"_**You are so stupid, Bella! You don't know anything! People like you aren't allowed to have babies! They will take it away from you and give it to strangers! Fuck! You really are only good for one thing and it wasn't even that good! Don't you get it? They don't let bring another dumb fucking baby into the world – better to get rid of it now!"**_ She could still hear his angry words.

Bella knew that she was stupid. She had been told that often over the past few years and Tyler was smart – he had gone all the way through school.

"Oh my goodness! You must be hungry! Come with me, there is some dinner in the kitchen for you." Esme turned to go, but when she looked over her shoulder, she saw Bella clutching her bags and looking around unsurely.

"Bella, you can put your bags down, Hon, there is a good, sturdy lock on this door and there is only one key, which you can keep on you at all times."

Bella's entire face lit up as she smiled broadly, "Really?"

Esme nodded, "Come on, let's feed you. And I know that Bree is dying to meet you."

Bella hesitated as she locked the door and pocketed the key.

"Bree?"

"Yes, that's my daughter. She just turned fourteen yesterday and she was happy to hear that there will be another girl here. She has three brothers!"

They climbed back into the car and Esme drove around the house and she parked in the double garage that was standing open.

Esme walked through a side door and Bella saw that it opened up into what looked like a large storage room there was an array of hats, boots, shoes, scarves and even some bats and a basket of balls of different shapes and sizes.

"This is the mud room. You can take off your shoes and coat and hang it up here. It comes in very handy in the winter!"

Bella watched Esme and she toed off her shoes and followed her through another door and she stopped dead.

She had never seen a house so beautiful before. The gleaming hardwood floors glowed with polish. They were in a large kitchen that had a highly polished black and white checkered floor and gleaming wooden cabinets with stainless steel countertops.

Shining silver and copper pots hung from a rack about the double stove and the large island in the centre of the room was made from the same wood at the cabinets. The top of the island was made in a 'butcher's block' pattern. Esme pointed to one of the stools surrounding the island.

"Take a seat. Are you allergic to anything? Shellfish? Or fish?"

Bella sat down slowly and frowned, "I've never had shellfish, but I have eaten fish before. Once, I didn't get sick or anything."

Esme pursed her lips, "Well, let's not take a chance. How about a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches with some chicken and mushroom soup, does that sound okay?"

Bella's stomach rumbled loudly and they both laughed.

Bella sat at the counter and looked around. She could see a dining room though a set of double doors on one side of the kitchen.

"You have a really nice house." Bella said, as she watched Esme pull things out of the double door fridge.

"Thank you, Bella. Carlisle and I redid it a few years ago. Would you like some juice or something warm to drink?"

"Juice sounds great thank you."

Esme poured large glass of juice and put it in front of Bella, "It's mixed berry juice, from our own orchard. We juice a lot of our fruit and veggies as well. There is quite a market for it nowadays."

Bella nodded, "What fruit and vegetables do you grow here?"

Esme flashed a grin before she flipped the two sandwiches sizzling in the pan, "We grow about fifteen or so different fruit and about ten vegetables depending on the seasons throughout the year. We are busy with summer fruits right now and apple season is around the corner, so that is quite a busy time. We are coming into a busy time here on the farm. Oh! Maybe you will still be here for the Apple Harvest Festival! It's such fun, and then there is the Halloween Hay Rides, oh my goodness, it is such fun, but it can be very tiring."

Esme slid a plate in front of Bella who felt her mouth water at the smell of the golden, crisp sandwiches. "That's some of our local cheese as well".

"It smells good." Bella said as she licked her lips.

"Please tuck in Bella. I'm sure that you are tired and we are going to be up early tomorrow."

After a few minutes, Esme put a large bowl of delicious smelling soup and Bella couldn't help but tease her, "I suppose those are your chickens, too?"

Esme chuckled, "No actually, Bree refused to let us slaughter any animals, so we get them from the farm down the road. The Volturis' own a large farm and so we have an arrangement, we supply them with cheese, vegetables and fruit and in return we get chickens and eggs and we also get all of our meats from their butcher shop."

Bella was only half listening as she forced herself not to gobble her food up. She almost scolded her mouth on the soup but remembered just in time to blow it.

Esme excused herself and went in search of her daughter, but when she looked in her room, she saw that Bree had fallen asleep. Esme gently stroked her hand down her daughter's auburn curls and she turned out the light before she made her way downstairs again.

"I'm sorry, but Bree must have been really tired after all of her excitement yesterday, she is fast asleep already."

When Bella was finished, Esme showed her where the downstairs bathroom was. Bella was desperate to relieve herself but she still snuck a peek into the large family room that looked comfortable, homely and very elegant at the same time.

The bathroom held a beautiful old fashioned bath with feet. Bella stared at it. She didn't know that baths could stand above the ground. The room was decorated in pale gold and white wallpaper with a snowy white floor.

Bella washed her hands and she couldn't help sniff the slightly spicy soap.

Esme was waiting for her in the hallway. "Now, can you see yourself home, or would you like me to walk with you?"

Bella didn't want to show how nervous she was to walk down the long, drive way that was lined on either side by huge trees that cast great big shadows over everything. Bella was used to the city, lots of noise, dark and smelly alleyways and tons of people – she had never been to the country before – shit there was less than a thousand people in the entire fucking town, Bella saw more than that on one block!

"Um, no, I'll be fine, um, thank you." Bella said haltingly.

"Okay, well let me walk you out."

Bella put her shoes on quickly, aware of the fact that Esme could see how broken they were. There was a hole forming in one of the soles.

Bella stood up, "Well goodnight, and um, thank you for letting me stay here. I promise that I will work hard for you, I don't expect any charity."

Esme nodded, "Thank you for saying that, Bella, I appreciate your honesty."

Bella pulled her hooded sweatshirt around her stomach. The zip was broken and a cool breeze had begun to blow.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Bella. I will watch you from here to make sure that you get in alright."

Bella didn't waste any time walking the seventy yards or so to reach the shed.

She unlocked the door to her room and quickly relocked it once she was inside. Only then did she feel safe. There was a small window that overlooked the road, and Bella was pleased to see that there were sturdy burglar bars on it.

She looked around the small space. It was plan and a little shabby even, but it was better than anything Bella had ever lived in, "Well, except for that motel room." She muttered before she kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. The pillows were soft and comfortable and Bella realized that she was going to lose her fight against sleep if she didn't get up, so she unzipped her jeans and pulled off her sweatshirt, bra, and socks. She checked that her feet were clean and quickly took her toothbrush and toothpaste from her bag. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Bella unpacked her meager belongings and put them on the bed.

One long sleeved T-shirt, two wife beaters, one short sleeved T-shirt, three pairs of panties, one bra, one sweatshirt and one beanie cap, one pair of jeans, besides the pair that she had been wearing, a pair of cut off jeans and two clean pairs of socks. One hair brush, and two hair elastics. She was also the new owner of two fluffy towels, several packs of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, a few disposable razors, small bottles of body wash and several small soaps. There was also a strip of condoms that you get in restrooms, Bella snorted and decided to throw them away – she was never having sex again in any case.

Bella packed the three bottles of water, two sodas, and small yoghurt into the fridge and put the packet of chocolate cookies, a packet of salted biscuits and the small packs of tea that Vinnie had given her onto a small shelf that was above the fridge and kettle.

Bella smiled to herself. "It's not much, but it's better than having nothing at all. Shit! I'm going to have to stop swearing, these don't seem like the type of people that cuss like a fucking sailor."

Bella rubbed her hand over her stomach. It had been a little achy over the past few hours. She packed her clothes in the two drawers of the dresser and put some of her toiletries in the bathroom. The bath looked tempting but Bella decided to shower before she went to sleep.

She didn't wash her hair again, because she didn't have a hair dryer, so she pulled it up into a messy bun and covered it with the plastic shower cap that was also in her bag from Vinnie.

Once she had dried herself Bella hung the towel up carefully over the door to dry. She put on her T-shirt, that she had on and after she had washed out her bra, panties and the wife beater, which she hung over the towel rack, Bella climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

That was the first night that she dreamt of Edward Cullen, the fierce man with the bottle green eyes.

Bella woke up with a fright. Her heart was thumping wildly and for a moment she could not remember where she was.

Then she remembered – meeting Billy, the drive, the town, and the two men in the crazy purple-cow dinner, Esme.

She sat up and turned around to look out of the window. It was dark outside still. Bella wondered if it was close to dawn.

She allowed herself a few minutes to just relax under the cozy bedding. The bed was so comfortable that she hated the thought of getting up, but then she remembered that she was going to be earning her first day's wages and she was going to see what her car was going to cost to fix.

Bella was suddenly filled with excitement. For a moment she felt uncomfortable knowing that she was going to have to leave this crazy town, but then she remembered whom she was doing it for.

"Morning baby. Did you sleep well?" She whispered as she gently stroked her fingers over her abdomen. Bella wondered for the hundredth time if her baby could hear her. She remembered some information from school and she didn't think that its ears were formed yet, but she was certain that it could hear her. She wanted it to know the sound of her voice from the very beginning. That way it wouldn't have to wonder what she sounded like. It would know.

It would know that she loved it and that she would never give it away.

"I love you, baby." She whispered and she touched her lips before she pressed her fingertips to her belly.

Bella put the small kettle on and she dropped a tea bag into the cup. Someone had stocked the shelf with a small bowl of sugar and a container of long life milk.

After the tea was brewing, Bella washed her face and brushed her teeth before she got dressed in her clean wife beater and the pair of cut off jeans. She wished that she had other shoes to wear but she put on socks and her converse sneakers.

She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed that the dark shadows under her eyes were not so bad. "Getting soft!" She sneered at her reflection.

She brushed her hair and pulled it into a high ponytail to keep it out of her neck. Bella had put her wallet that held her birth certificate, Charlie Swan's badge, the envelope with the picture and her two hundred dollars under the mattress, in the corner next to the wall.

She sat on her bed and drank her tea and ate a pear and a couple of crackers. After she finished she washed her mug in the basin and she dried it with the small dish cloth that hung from a peg next to the shelf.

Just then she heard the outer door open and then there were a couple of knocks on her door.

Bella froze.

"Bella? Good morning, are you awake?" Esme's voice called softly through the door.

Bella felt quite dizzy as relief flooded over her.

"Y-yes, just a minute." she said loudly.

She took a deep breath and unlocked the door.

Esme stood on the other side and Bella couldn't help but smile at her. She was wearing a pair of denim dungarees with only one strap tied, while the other hung down. She had on a yellow T-shirt that said something about early birds. Her dungarees were rolled up and Bella saw that she was wearing yellow socks and a yellow scarf was tied around her hair.

"Good morning!" Esme said cheerfully.

Bella rolled her eyes, "Hi."

She locked her door and pocketed the key, "I'm ready."

Esme grinned at her, "So I see. Oh this is going to be such fun! I very seldom have company in the mornings, except when Edward is here, then he goes with me, but you are here now, come on!"

Bella bit her lip to keep from cussing, where _the … heck did that woman get her bouncy attitude from at God only knows what time!_

There was an old Ford pickup standing outside and Esme walked towards it, "Hop in!"

Once Bella was seated, she looked at the clock and saw that it was just after 4.30 a.m.

_Fuck me!_

Esme looked at her as she put the truck into gear, "Here, I thought that you might need it."

Bella looked gingerly down at the travel mug, "It's tea." she said and Bella smiled appreciatively.

As they drove down the dirt road and turned left in front of the dark house, Esme began talking, "This is the way to the orchards and the fields. Each morning we know what is being picked that day and what needs to be dug up, or planted. Our operation isn't very large; we own just over one hundred and forty acres, even though it might seem like it. We are nothing like the commercial and larger farms around. Volturi Farms is about four times the size that we are. We have to check the fencing regularly because occasionally some of their cows come looking for a snack. That's why we had double fences around our property. We only have twenty-five cows that we keep for dairy products – we have a farm store on Main Street where we sell our produce as well as our cheeses, preserves, jams and canned fruits. The other half of the store is a vintage store that is owned by my daughter in law, Alice. She sells furniture, clothing, linens; she even does some dress designing and she has made a few wedding dresses in the last few years. Well here we are," Esme said.

Only then Bella realized that they had stopped driving. She opened her door and the first thing that hit her was the smell of the fresh, dewy air.

"Our main orchard is our apple orchard. We supply less of the other fruits and we have fields for our berry bushels. Our vegetables are also produced in smaller amounts but everything on our farm is organic. From seeds to canning, bottling or juicing. That is something that I am really passionate about. You see, our daughter Brianna is allergic to pesticides and we almost lost her when she was just a baby. After that, it was an easy decision to convert everything to organic. It was either our child's health or this farm and we were not going to lose our child."

Bella blinked away sudden tears as she stared at the trees and the fields beyond. Her hand almost instinctively found her belly and she touched it with her finger tips – _see baby, I can be a good mom just like Esme._

Esme's sharp gaze caught the gesture and she frowned. There was only one reason that a woman would touch her stomach so protectively – and it wasn't from hunger pains! She wondered how old Bella was; she didn't look much older than Bree and the thought made Esme feel ill.

"Bella, are you okay?"

Bella shook her head sharply to clear the thoughts from it, "Yes! Of course, I'm fine! Why do you ask?" Her voice was sharp and abrasive.

"No reason, you will probably be working in this orchard today, we are going to be harvesting apricots and then there are blueberries, maybe some blackberries, cantaloupes and table grapes."

Bella nodded. It looked so peaceful and alien to what she had always known, but she felt _right _here, almost as if she _belonged_ – the thought almost made Bella laugh – she had never belonged anywhere.

Bella rubbed her hands together, "Hard work doesn't scare me, Mizz Esme, just show me what to do and I promise that I can do it. I'm not smart, but I am a hard worker." Bella rubbed her forehead self-consciously.

Esme frowned, "Why would you think that you are not smart?"

Bella pursed her lips and she was about to answer when she caught herself, _never give up any information about yourself that others can use against you_ – another rule.

"No reason, it's a fact that's all." Bella said shortly.

"How old are you Bella?"

"I turned eighteen on my last birthday."

Esme nodded, "Do your parents know where you are?" she knew that it was probably the wrong question, but she had to ask. She knew what it was like to be a mother whose child had run away.

Esme knew what it was like to stare down the driveway wondering if today would be the day when he would finally come home…

Bella sighed and she stared down at her hands before she nodded to herself and then she looked back at Esme, "Look, Mizz Esme, I'm an orphan. I don't have any family, and I am not a runaway, okay? It's just me. I promise. I'm not going to be any trouble for you. No one will come looking for me; no one cares about me. I'm only here until my car gets fixed and then I will be on my way and your husband and sons will be able to breathe easy again. I won't steal from you." Her voice sounded loud and harsh in the quiet morning.

Bella took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly – this woman had been nothing but nice to her – _she was not the enemy_.

Bella's suddenly vulnerable eyes met Esme's, "I just want to start over. I want to make something of my life. I _need_ to find a job, build a life – for me…" Bella stopped talking abruptly. She almost told her secret! _Stupid!_ There was something about this woman that made Bella feel warm and safe.

She would have to be on her guard around her. Bella turned her face away and looked out of the window.

Esme studied her young friend for a moment before she realized that she was not going to get anymore out of her.

"Okay, well, let's go and see the animals and then I will take you to the staff kitchen."

Bella didn't get out of the truck when Esme stopped at the barn and the farm animal enclosure.

She could see the giant cows through the open doors and that was enough to make her lock her door.

Esme could see that Bella wasn't being difficult when she refused to have anything to do with the animals, she was genuinely afraid and so she didn't push her further, but instead she went about her usual routine.

She thought about what Bella had told her. If what she said was the truth then she was alone and if Esme was right, somehow she had managed to get pregnant and she was scared. Esme wondered if she had even been to see a doctor. There was no way that Bella would ever trust Edward to check her out, but perhaps Carlisle could get her to open up to him, once he met her and she felt more comfortable around them.

After that she pointed out various aspects of the farm before she drove around the side of the main house and Bella saw a long log cabin. There were about twenty people milling about in the morning air, chatting and drinking steaming mugs of something.

The all greeted Esme with warmth and respect. Bella noticed that most of the people didn't greet her but some of the men tipped their hats at her, while others just stared at her with closed expressions.

Bella hated being stared at and she instinctively wrapped her arms around her middle and ducked her head down as she blindly followed Esme inside the large room.

The cabin was one large room with a kitchen on one end, a dining hall in the middle with six tables and chairs and the other end was a sitting area with a large television, sofas, and bookshelves laden with books and magazines.

Bella's eyes lit up when she saw all the books. The only time that she had seen that many books was in the library at school. She didn't realize that people owned so many books!

_Maybe, if I stay, maybe they will let me read a book or two…_

Esme put her hand on Bella's arm, making Bella jump back before she scowled and blushed, "Sorry, I don't like to be touched."

Esme nodded, "That's okay, I don't like strangers touching me either. Come over here and meet our key staff."

She walked over to where a group of men were standing at the kitchen counter, as a woman stood at the huge cooker.

"Good morning everyone."

There were various murmurs of 'morning Mrs. C' as the men stood to attention.

Esme smiled encouragingly at Bella, "This is our friend and newest employee Bella. Bella this is our farm manager Paul Lahote and his lovely wife, Rachel. Paul, Bella is going to be working with our pickers in Fresh Produce for today, so that she can see how things run around here. She will also be staying with us for a while."

_Bella was puzzled and dismayed by Esme's words. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to belong here. She wanted to fit in. She wanted to have a place that she could claim as her home. Didn't she want Bella to work here? Was she going to let her go without giving her a chance? She should never have confided in Esme! Tyler was right: she was stupid – stupid to be lulled into a false sense of security!_

Paul, who looked to be around fifty, held out his hand and smiled at Bella, "Welcome to the Bluebonnet family Bella."

Bella wiped her sweaty palm on her cut offs before she put it out and clasped the man's' hand.

"Nice to meet you," she said as she swallowed hard.

She wasn't used to being polite and making conversation with people. Her eyes shifted nervously to where Rachel was standing, plating up what looked like a mountain of bacon.

"Hey there Bella! Welcome! If you need anything, you can just come to me. If you ever want to join us for a meal, then Breakfast is at five thirty sharp in summer and at six thirty in winter. Lunch is at noon, and dinner is at six." The small build woman said with a welcoming smile as she pulled an enormous pot towards her.

"Hey Bella, I'm Collin. We are going to be working together today. We will meet here for breakfast each morning and then we will go out to the section that we are working on that day. Have you got a pair of gloves?"

Bella shook her head, "Gloves?" she quickly looked at Esme.

Collin seemed to be younger than Paul, shorter than the farm manager but he seemed like a friendly person.

Esme shook her head at Collin, "Don't worry about gloves, I have plenty of spare sets and I will give her a pair."

After that Esme introduced Bella to Brady Fuller, the canning supervisor and Jared Cameron the diary supervisor.

Once the introductions had been made, Esme was in two minds as to whether to leave Bella with her workers or whether to take her back to the house for breakfast. She knew that it would be better for Bella if she didn't show her favoritism, and yet for some inexplicable reason, she was reluctant to leave her alone.

She could see that Bella was very ill at ease by all of the workers as they filtered inside to have breakfast. The girl looked as if she was ready to bolt especially as each time someone would reach out and touch her arm or shake her hand.

Esme touched Collin's arm to get his attention, "Collin, I'm going to use today to be more of an orientation day for Bella. So, I will bring her to the orchard, in about an hour?"

Collin nodded but didn't say anything. He had noticed how on edge the new girl seemed to be, why she was almost hiding behind Mrs. C.

Esme smiled at him, "Thank you Collin."

"Anything for you, Mrs. C!"

She smiled at him and turned to Bella, "Well, come on, we need to get back to the house and make some breakfast for Carlisle and Bree."

Esme led the way out to her truck and got in. She was about to turn the ignition when she realized that Bella had not got into the cab, but she was standing holding the door and staring at Esme.

"Come on, Bella!"

"Are you driving me off the property? 'Cause if you are then you can just let me walk to fetch my stuff. I'm not gonna steal anything from your shed, Mrs. Cullen. Thank you for letting me stay for the night, it was very kind of you. And I know that you don't want someone like me on your premises, so I'll just be on my way now." For a split second Esme saw the hurt and vulnerability in Bella's eyes and then it was gone and the dead, blank expression was back on her face like a mask.

Before Esme could respond or react; Bella had closed the door quietly and she had turned to walk down the dirt road towards the equipment shed.

Esme watched the thin figure as she hugged her arms around her torso and she walked quickly along the pathway. Esme wanted to race after her, but she had to work out what the hell Bella was talking about first!

"How on earth did she come to the conclusion that I was getting rid of her?" Esme asked herself.

She thought back to what had happened in the kitchen and the conversations that she had with her staff.

Suddenly it dawned on her – she had told Collin that Bella was only there for the day! She hadn't explained to Bella that she had another job in mind for her!

"Dammit!"

She started the engine and the dirt flew up behind her as she reversed and took off after Bella.

Bella was talking to herself as she hurried towards the shed.

"… Fucking do-gooders! I knew that I shouldn't have trusted these assholes! Fucking Podunk town! In the middle of fucking nowhere! This is so stupid!" Bella tripped on a lose stone at that moment and as she fell onto her knees on the gravel road. She felt the sharp stones scrap her hands and knees.

Her face was wet. Bella reached up and touched her cheek and she stared at her hand. She was crying.

Bella couldn't remember when she cried last. Perhaps it had been when Big Belinda from the home had taken her dolly from her when she was six? It was a First Love doll and Bella had loved that doll. Funny, she hadn't thought about it in years. _Charlie. _She had called her doll Charlie.

_Grow the fuck up, Bella! You are so fucking stupid –_

A car stopped in front of her and a door slammed, "Bella? Honey, are you okay?"

Bella fumbled as she got to her feet. There was a scrap on her knees. Great! Another scar.

"Bella! You are hurt! Come with me and let me ask Carlisle to check it for you…"

Bella glared at Esme and in another first, Bella let what she was feeling show on her face, "NO! I DON'T WANT YOUR CHARITY, MRS. CULLEN! Just leave me alone! Haven't you done enough? I'm going okay? I just need to get my stuff and you can have your key back –"

"Stop it! Why would you think that? I want you here, I told you that this morning. I am not a liar, Bella."

Bella wiped her face with the back of her arm, "But… but you said – you said to Collin that I'm only here for the day – you said that!" Bella almost spat in her face.

Esme forced herself to reply calmly, "Bella, I said that because as I was introducing you around, I was thinking that I might have another job for you. I don't really need another picker, but I do need some help in our shop. We have a teenager that helps Alice in the shop, but Sally went away this summer and we really need help."

They stood staring at each other. Bella was searching for any hint of a lie in Esme's face and when she didn't find any she frowned, "What do you want me to do? I told you, I'm not smart! I mean, I can read and write and I was pretty good at math but I didn't graduate. I was good with computer studies, though."

Bella tried to look as if she didn't care, but Esme saw the sadness in the depth of her rich brown eyes.

"Bella, I am not setting you up to fail. This is not a trick. I really do need help. Now, can we go to breakfast and talk about it?"

Bella nodded and she climbed into the cab, grimacing as she felt the scrapes on her hands and knees.

"What must I do in your store? I don't have a lot of nice clothes and I don't like people much." Bella said and Esme hid her smile. _Now there's a shocker_, she thought to herself.

Bella sounded just as petulant as Bree did when she was being told to do her chores.

"We will talk about it after breakfast. Tell me, can you cook?"

Bella scowled but she nodded, "Yep, I used to cook for the smaller kids – um, yeah, I can cook." She bit her lip.

She had already revealed too much about herself to Esme, what if Esme told the cop or the other one – Edward? What if they sent her away?

Esme bit the inside of her cheek to keep from shedding tears. Her heart was breaking for this girl/woman who had never stood a chance in life.

She sent up a silent prayer that she would be given the chance to help Bella see that she could trust people. That not everyone was out to trick her or hurt her.

Esme stopped outside her home and she decided not to make a big deal of the information that Bella had inadvertently given her.

"Good, you can make the toast and help Bree to set the table."

Bella followed Esme into the mud room again. She sat down and took her socks and sneakers off before she followed Esme into the kitchen.

A man stood with his back to the door and Bella had to fight the urge to turn and run away. He was tall and blonde, and he wore an old pair of jeans that complemented his long legs. A dark blue button down shirt and sneakers finished his outfit.

Esme seemed to sense her discomfort, because she smiled at her kindly and shook her head ever so slightly.

Bella understood what Esme was saying to her: _this man was not a threat to her_.

Esme cleared her throat and walked up to the man, before she slipped her arms around his waist and she stood on tip-toe to kiss his chiseled jaw. Bella watched as the man leaned down and turned his face towards Esme, before he gently kissed Esme's upturned mouth.

"Good morning my Darling." His deep voice filled the room.

Bella wondered what the people in the Cullen household drank, because they were all so freaking beautiful, it was scary!

"Morning Honey. Carlisle, I would like to introduce you to Bella – Bella this is my husband, Doctor Carlisle Cullen."

For a moment husband and wife communicated with each other silently.

After a moment's hesitation, Carlisle turned to face Bella with an easy and welcoming smile.

He stepped forward but made sure that there was a large space between himself and the girl that looked as if she had been rolling in the dirt. There was dirt on her face, where she had wiped it, there was dried blood on her palms and her knees were dirty and bloody, but it was the look of fear and defiance on her pretty face that concerned Carlisle the most. That, and the fact that she had the oldest, most empty eyes he had ever seen before.

Carlisle had seen many wild horses in his life. He often went to his friend's ranch and took his kids and now his grandkids to watch them while being broken in and then schooled and trained. As wild creatures they were magnificent and dangerous. Long after they had been trained, if you looked into their eyes, you could just catch a glimpse of their inner spirit. They were bent, but not broken. Bella reminded him of a wild horse and so he instinctively gave her enough room to bolt. Except that she seemed broken, not bent.

"Welcome to our home Bella and welcome to Bluebonnet Orchards." He said quietly, his blue eyes clear of deception and they looked kind, not mean like Simon's 'dead fish eyes' as she used to call them. He didn't hold out his hand to shake hers instead, he nodded to a chair at the large butcher's block island, "Why don't you take a seat? Would you like something to drink?"

Bella relaxed immediately. This man wasn't crowding her. She felt safer immediately, "Um, hello. Could I please use your bathroom? I was clumsy earlier and tripped. It's nothing new, but my hands are dirty." She asked.

Esme answered quickly, "Of course, Bella. You know where it is. You will find some disinfectant under the bath sink and there are anti-septic wipes there as well."

Bella thanked them and excused herself.

Esme turned to look at her husband, "Now do you understand? Do you see what I'm talking about?" she asked quietly.

Carlisle pursed his lips, "Yes, I understand. Let's talk later, okay?"

Esme nodded, she knew that they would talk once they were alone.

"I'm going to wake Bree and get her up." Esme excused herself, she turned as she reached the doorway, "I asked Bella to help make toast; perhaps you could show Bella where everything is? Maybe she will let you look at her cuts."

Carlisle nodded as he calmly continued to sip his coffee. He heard Esme knocking on Bree's door upstairs and then Bella walked quietly into the room and stood near the doorway, ready to run.

Carlisle smiled at her, "Would you like some tea or coffee, Bella?"

He watched her cheeks color as she bit her lip and mumbled, "Tea please."

Bella watched Carlisle carefully as he poured a mug of tea from a tea-pot on the counter.

Everything about him was calm and soothing. He was a very good looking man even though Bella could see that he was older, he didn't seem old, but then again, neither did Esme.

Carlisle smiled at her as he set her mug on the counter, "I believe that you are in charge of the 'toast mountain' as we call it around here. My daughters-in-law will probably stop by soon and they always steal some toast and bacon if there is any left over, so we make more. Are you ready to help?"

Bella nodded. She watched Carlisle take the bread out of the fridge and he pointed to the four-piece toaster and an odd rack looking thing.

"Okay, so you pop the bread in here, when it's ready you put it into the toast rack so that it doesn't get soggy."

"I think I can handle that!" Bella said as she rolled her eyes.

Carlisle smiled at her again. In that moment she looked like any other teenager, and for a second her eyes did not look as it she had lived for a hundred years, instead of just a few.

"How are the cuts on your hands and knees?" Carlisle asked as he placed a large chopping board on the counter.

Bella shrugged, "Not as bad as some that I've had."

Carlisle nodded but Bella could see that he wanted to say something, "Doctor Cullen, I don't think that I've got any diseases, but I will understand if you don't want me touching your food."

Carlisle smiled at her, "That wasn't what I was thinking, but why don't I just put a couple of band-aids on those scrapes, that will keep any infection out. The farm is a breeding ground for germs and infections if they aren't properly treated."

Bella took her time to think about what he said; an infection wouldn't be good for the baby.

"Okay."

"Good, come over here to the sink." He reached up and pulled a large white box from the closet, "With four grandchildren, farm workers and four children, we have learned to have first aid kits in almost every room in the house."

Carlisle kept up with the small talk. He even made Bella laugh as he told her about some of the residents of Hope Springs.

One of her favorite characters so far was Randall Wilber, who Carlisle said was normal (he had personally tested him on a few occasions). Randall was in his late twenties, lived with his mother, who was Carlisle and Edward's receptionist. Randall had done every conceivable job in Hope Springs – from plough driver (he crashed into Jasper's cruiser) to entrepreneur (he went broke in two days).

Carlisle liked the sound of Bella's laughter. At first she had seemed unfamiliar with how to just laugh, but after a few minutes, she was chuckling along with him.

"So, these people that own that Purple monstrosity in the centre of town, are they you know, um, deranged or colorblind?"

Carlisle chuckled, "Well, most people would say that Jessica is a little 'off the wall' but she is – eccentric. She is a bit of a hippy throw-back, but she is harmless."

A high-pitched squeal almost made Bella jump out of her skin. She gasped and swung around only to find herself face to face with a pretty, slim and tall young girl.

"Bella! It's so great to finally meet you! I was beginning to think that you were a figment of my mother's imagination! Oh we are going to have so much fun!" The girl was smiling broadly and Bella could see sweet dimples peeking at her, while shining green/grey eyes were twinkling with excitement.

Bella could feel her mouth was hanging open and she had wrapped her arms around her waist.

Carlisle sighed, as he pulled off his gloves and threw the disposable instrument sheet away with the wads of cotton wool.

Bella had a band-aid on each knee, and larger ones on her left hand.

"Brianna, you are scaring Bella! Tone it down please." He said with a pointed look at his daughter over Bella's shoulder.

The girl pushed her long auburn hair off her shoulders, but she looked unrepentant as she smiled at her father, "Sorry, Dad. Sorry Bella. I get a little carried away sometimes, I'm Brianna; you can call me Bree. Only my parents call me Brianna and then I'm in trouble."

Bella found herself smiling at the young girl, who was taller than her by a couple of inches and Bella didn't consider herself to be short at five feet three inches.

"Hi."

Esme took over at that point and twenty minutes later they was all sitting at the dining room table with plates of scrambled egg, thick slices of crispy bacon and toast. There was a large pitcher of apricot juice and tea and coffee.

Bella let the conversation flow around her as she forced herself to eat slowly. She could not believe how hungry she was these days.

Earlier Esme had warned Bree not to ask Bella too many questions and so far she had managed to curb her natural curiosity.

Carlisle finished eating and excused himself to do some work in his study. He leaned down and kissed Esme's forehead, and then Bella watched closely as he brushed a long curl behind Bree's ear as he told her to 'be good and to have fun at Bethany'.

He smiled kindly at Bella before he left the room, "It was very nice to meet you Bella. I look forward to seeing you again soon. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask Esme or myself, and I mean anything."

For a brief moment Bella wanted to open up to this man with the kind blue eyes, she felt the same way when she was with Esme. Safe.

These Cullen's were dangerous – they made you lower your guard.

Despite of her internal warning, Bella smiled back at him, "Thank you for being so kind to me. I didn't know what my job will be yet, but I will work real hard for you and Mizz Esme." She said in a half whisper, as she blinked back tears.

_What the fuck was wrong with her?_

Esme asked Bella and Bree to take the plates to the kitchen and she hurried down the hallway to Carlisle's study.

He was waiting for her, and as soon as he saw the look of distress on her lovely face, he opened his arms to her and Esme wasted no time in climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her head in his shoulder.

For long moments, Carlisle soothed her, crooning into her ear as he peppered her hair with kisses.

Finally Esme lifted her head, "It's worse than I could have imagined, Carlisle. She is an orphan. And I know that she has lived on the streets, but she owns a car that Jacob is repairing. Billy doesn't know her story either. She doesn't trust anyone. She almost jumps out of her skin if anyone touches her or walks up behind her. You should have seen her when I took her to the staff kitchen; she looked as if she was going to pass out! That's why I changed my mind. She can't work alongside so many people. I thought that she could work behind the scenes at the store; you know, helping with inventory and stock. She keeps telling me that that she is so stupid, but I don't think that she is."

Carlisle nodded, "its okay Darling, I don't think that she's on drugs either, I sort of checked her out when she let me clean her cuts."

Esme opened her mouth to speak again, but there was a knock on the door and Bree stuck her head in, "Um, sorry to interrupt you, but I'm leaving now. Bella is sitting out on the porch, waiting for you. I told her to wait in the kitchen, but she said that she didn't think that you and dad want her alone in our house. What's that about?"

Esme sighed, "Well I told her last night that Daddy had reservations about letting her stay on our property." Bree gasped, but Esme went on, "I was not going to lie to that girl, Bree. I think that she needs people to say what they mean and not sugarcoat things!"

Bree rolled her eyes as her mouth tightened, "Whatever! I am leaving now." She snapped before she stopped at the stern look in Carlisle's eyes, "Brianna that is enough. Now apologize to your mother."

Bree sighed and dropped her head before she raised her gaze to Esme's, "Sorry Mom. It's just that she reminds me of the wild colts that dad takes me to see at uncle Jensen's place and I just want to tell her that it's okay to relax and take a breath. She acts like she is almost too scared to move in case something bad happens."

Esme stood up and walked over to her daughter and took her hand, "I know, Honey. Dad and I see it too, but we have to tread carefully, okay. So, even if we have to give her bad news, we tell Bella the truth. No lies. I think that she has been let down enough in her life."

Bree nodded and hugged her mother. She knew how lucky she was to have parents that loved her unconditionally and brothers and sisters that adored her.

Bella was sitting on the porch swing as Bree walked out of the front door, "Are you sure that water is enough for you Bella?"

Bella turned and smiled at her, "It's fine, thanks. It was nice to meet you Bree."

"I'll see you later, Bella."

Bella watched her skip down the steps and walk towards a car that was coming up the driveway. Bella recognized the waitress from the previous evening and her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but Bethany just waved and smiled at her.

_The people in this town sure are strange, _Bella thought as she raised her own hand and gave the girl a wave. She could feel her mouth curve up into a smile – _what the hell is wrong with me today? Tears, smiles, fuck I think I also laughed with that Carlisle dude – strange name that – Carlisle, sound like a beer._

Just then Esme walked out of the house, "Come back inside, Bella. I need another cup of coffee and then we can discuss your job offer."

Bella got up and patted the porch swing, yeah they were strange, but she found herself _liking _them – well most of them.

_I wonder what that means?_ She thought as she followed Esme into the house once more.

**A/N: What does that mean indeed. I don't think that Bella has ever liked anyone before – ever!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 5…**_

_**Bella watched her skip down the steps and walk towards a car that was coming up the driveway. Bella recognized the waitress from the previous evening and her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but Bethany just waved and smiled at her.**_

_**The people in this town sure are strange, Bella thought as she raised her own hand and gave the girl a wave.**_

_**Just then Esme walked out of the house, "come back inside, Bella. I need another cup of coffee and then we can discuss your job offer."**_

_**Bella got up and patted the porch swing, yeah they were strange, but she found herself liking them – well most of them.**_

_**I wonder what that means? She thought as she followed Esme into the house once more.**_

**CHAPTER 6 – AND SO IT BEGINS…**

Esme and Bella sat at the kitchen table as Esme explained that she needed a complete stock inventory of the two shops, as well as some sort of system for inventory control. At first Bella was too scared of messing up to really listen but after another cup of tea, Bella began to get rather excited as Esme told her what her new job would entail.

Bella was beyond ecstatic, although she tried hard not to show any emotion. Esme offered her a job initially for eight weeks, but for longer if Bella wanted to continue – working forty hours a week. Bella's mind was racing – at eight dollars an hour, which would be over three hundred dollars a week!

That was enough to see her through for a long time. She would be able to go to a doctor and find out why her stomach had been unsettled for the past few days and she could buy clothes… maybe even an apartment… she could take care of the baby.

Bella stared at her blankly until Esme frowned slightly, "Bella? That is my standard rate for summer jobs, and I am willing to revise your wages if you stay longer–"

Bella jumped at the sound of Esme's voice, "_What? YES! Yes, I will take it!_ I want this job, please Mizz Esme, I won't let you down, I promise!"

Bella forgot all about remaining impartial and aloof. She forgot everything except the small voice in her heart that was telling her that she was going to have enough to get her car fixed and then she could begin to build a life.

Esme smiled at Bella and without really thinking about it she reached across and hugged the girl. Bella stiffened at first and then she just seemed to let out a breath and she moved into Esme's arms.

For a moment, Bella forget everything. She forgot that she was barely eighteen years old; she forgot that she was running away from a horrible childhood and that she was pregnant from a boy that she barely knew who had almost forced himself on her.

All she did was close her eyes and relax. Esme's arms felt so – right as they hugged her. Bella put her head on Esme's shoulder and she breathed in a fragrance so unique that Bella knew that she would never forget it. It was like honey and something flowery, a little spicy, and perhaps nutmeg? and fresh linen and soap – it smelled exactly like what Bella had imagined when she used to dream of what a mother would be like – soft, warm, comforting, _loving_.

Bella could not remember anyone hugging her. Nor had she ever willingly hugged anyone – ever.

Esme felt tears flood her eyes as her arms tightened around Bella's thin frame. She had no idea why she felt so _protective_ over this girl, but there was just _something_ about her.

Finally Bella pulled back slightly and she turned her face away with a self conscious smile as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand quickly.

Esme wasn't ashamed to show her how moved she was and she reached for a tissue and after a moment, Bella took one as well and she blew her nose and wiped her eyes again.

"Well, now that that is sorted out, I really meant what I said about you seeing what we do and where our produce goes to, so are you up to going to the orchards for a while?" Esme asked.

Bella nodded, "Of course."

"Great, then after lunchtime and we will go and see – oh! Hey everyone!"

Two women walked in to the kitchen, followed by four children of various ages. The two women were completely opposite to each other in looks. One woman was tall, much taller than Bella. She had blonde hair, and hazel eyes and she was very beautiful. She was dressed in a white pencil skirt with a red blouse and white stiletto sandals.

The other woman was petite in stature. She had dark, inky hair, wide blue eyes and once again she was gorgeous. She was dressed in a pretty floral skirt that was flirty and cute, coupled with a strappy top in yellow. She was taller than Bella in her six inch stiletto heels.

"Everyone, this is my friend Bella. She is going to be with us for a while and she has agreed to take the inventory and stock position at the shop, Alice. Bella, these are my daughters-in-law – Alice and Rosalie. And these four breathtakingly beautiful and handsome children are my grandbabies Jed, Emma – they belong to Rose and Emmett and this is Chelsea and Brady, Alice and Jasper's two children."

Bella greeted the two women quietly. She felt inadequate and underdressed compared to these women.

Bella tried to remember everything that Esme told her but most of it went over her head. She had never spoken to so many people in her life!

Jed held out his hand and shook Bella's with a very polite, "How do you do, Ma'am?"

She felt herself blush as she shook hands with the tall, blonde, good looking boy with the cutest dimples. The two little girls greeted her with a smile before the small blonde boy stood in front of her.

"You's real pretty, Belle. You look like dat Belle from da movie. You seen it? I is Brady, I's four and I's real clever. My Uncle Eddie did sayed so!" His gruff, husky voice was completely out of character for his cherub features and Bella fell in love with him in that moment. She was grinning at him until she realized that he was waiting for her to respond to his interrogation.

"Um no, Brady, I haven't seen that movie. And I think you are very clever and very handsome." She said.

Brady grinned at her and blinked his eyes several times as his mother, Aunt and grandmother chuckled, "Oh my word, he is _such_ a flirt! He's winking at you Bella! Brady Cullen! You'd better not be winking at women at your age, young man." Alice said playfully.

Brady just smiled at Bella before he looked at his mother, "I think I's gonna marry Belle, mama" he said with a completely serious look on his face as Esme and Rosalie clamped their hands over their mouths.

Alice put her hands on her hips and stared at her son, "Well, now, I don't know about that, Brady. Bella might not want to marry you and remember, she is older than you."

Brady sighed dramatically and pushed his curls off his forehead before he looked up at Bella and then at his mother again, "Naaagh, she _will_ marry me – I's a Cullen, 'member Mommy? Uncle Emmy sayed we are '_resispa-til_ to girls!" He answered seriously with a shrug and looked at his cousin for confirmation.

Jed nodded at him and then he smiled at Alice, "Dad did say that we Cullen men are irresistible, but don't worry Aunt Ali, I'm gonna set Brady straight – can we go and swim later, May-May?"

Esme smiled at him, "We'll see, but for now, I need to take Bella to the orchard. She's going to work with Collin and the gang this morning."

"Can we also go May-May? Can we?" The children's pleas rose up and the four adult's looked at each other.

Esme smiled, "If your mothers say it's okay, then fine. After lunch its rest time and then when Pa comes home, you may swim while I take Bella to the shop."

Rosalie and Alice gave their consent and they thanked Esme profusely before they kissed their children goodbye and left.

Bella felt shell-shocked. The flurry of activity was enough to make her head spin.

She quickly excused herself to use the bathroom, while Esme got the children ready to spend the morning in the warm sun.

When she got back to the kitchen, everyone was waiting for her. The four children were wearing the cutest floppy hats, the two boys were brown and the girls were bright pink.

Brady looked at Bella with a frown, "Where's your hat, Belle? You gots to have a hat – May-May rules!"

Bella looked at Esme with raised eyebrows, "May-May rules?"

Esme grinned, "What can I say? My husband may be the head of our home, but I have a few rules…" she tossed a similar floppy hat over the counter to Bella. It was blue with white daisies on it, "Put that on and you will need to put some sunscreen on as well, Bella. Right, are we ready?"

The four children nodded.

"Well then, let's go!"

The older children raced out of the kitchen but Brady hung back and stared at Bella before he looked up at Esme, "May-May, she's real pretty, huh?"

Esme winked at Bella, "She sure is Brady, now go and get in my car."

Esme handed Bella a basket with a blanket, "I'm sorry Bella, Brady takes after his father. He is a bit of a charmer!"

Bella heard a foreign sound coming out of her mouth – _what the fuck? Was that a giggle?_

"It's okay Mizz Esme; I think that the crush is mutual. He is a cutie pie."

Esme walked over to a large seven seat SUV. The four children were sitting in their seats with their seat belts buckled up.

Bella looked over at Esme, "let me guess, another one of May-May Rules?"

Esme smiled and nodded, "Absolutely."

Bella spent the rest of the morning working side by side with Collin, Esme and the rest of the pickers. Brady stayed one step behind her and she was surprised to see that the children seemed to know just what they were doing. Jed showed her how to look for only the ripest fruit to put into the large wooden crates. The rest of the fruit went into baskets to be taken to the canning or juicing sheds.

Esme spread the blanket in the shade so that the children could take a break if they wanted.

At lunch time the workers all said goodbye and they headed off to the kitchen. Bella walked with them to the truck but she turned when she felt a small tug on her top. Brady stood glaring at her with his bottom lip pushed out in the most adorable pout.

"What is it Brady? I've got to go to lunch." She said softly as Collin looked on in amusement.

"Why is you going with dem?" he asked as he jabbed his thumb towards the truck.

"Because I am working with them and it's my first day and I don't want to eat alone. I will see you another time, okay?"

Esme had watched how gentle and sweet Bella had been with the children. It was as if she was seeing another person altogether. Bella let her guard down completely with all of the children.

She talked to Chelsea and Jed as if they were adults, not talking down to them, which they loved. She chatted with Emma and she listened as the little girl told Bella all about her friends and her new school and her excitement over the coming upcoming Labor Day celebrations that were taking place at Dorset Common.

Bella was unreserved as she laughed with them. She teased and chatted and she listened to the four's endless chatter. Esme knew how tiring that could be, but Bella never lost her patience with them at all.

Brady looked as if he was going to burst into tears and Bella looked over to Esme in a panic.

Esme stepped forward and put her hand on Brady's arm, "Come on Sweetheart, I promise that we will see Bella again later on – after your nap, okay?"

Brady looked from Esme to Bella, "You promise Belle?" He absolutely refused to call her anything other than 'Belle', even though everyone had corrected him.

Bella smiled at him, "I promise."

=====HS=====

Lunch was surprisingly relaxing. Bella thanked Rachel quietly for the fried chicken, potato salad, a garden salad, chunks of fresh crusty bread, and ice cold water and fruit juice.

"Bella," Rachel said as she turned way. Bella turned back to her, "Even though I only serve meals at certain times, there is usually something to snack on and there is always fresh fruit juice, coffee and tea, so you just stop by for a chat if you want to." Bella smiled and nodded at the pretty woman, "Thanks, Rachel."

She walked outside and sat at a table under a huge tree. She smiled at several of the people that she had worked alongside, but no one pressed her to sit with them and Bella could see a few people that were sitting alone and relaxing.

After she ate, Bella emptied her plate and set her flatware in the canteen-like rack that stood to one side of the great room.

She waved at Rachel and walked back to her room.

_My room! That sounds so strange – my room._ Bella shook her head at the way her life had turned around in a matter of days.

She knew that she was to meet Esme at around 3 p.m., but she didn't have a watch. Esme had told her that she would send Jed and Chelsea to fetch her when they woke up.

It was warm and Bella quickly stripped down to her underwear after she made sure that the door was locked and she climbed onto the bed.

=====HS=====

She woke up to the sound of tapping.

"Bella? May-May said to tell you that it's time." She heard Jed say through the closed door.

"Um, thanks Jed. Please tell your May-May that I will be there in a few minutes? I just need to wash my face." Bella sat up and pushed her hair out of her face.

"Kay!" She heard the cousins shout and then she heard Chelsea and Jed running and laughing up the drive towards the house.

She hurried into the bathroom and after a quick consideration, she stepped out of her panties and bra and jump under the shower and set the temperature to a cool, steady stream. A quick wash Bella felt refreshed and wide awake – and hungry again!

She pulled on a fresh pair of panties, a clean wife beater and her cut off jeans. Instead of her sneakers, she put on her flip-flops and after brushing her hair and pulling it into a pony tail, she braided it to keep it off her neck and after she pulled a bottle of water from the mini fridge, she locked her room and took off for the main house.

She was unsure of whether to knock on the front door or to walk around to the kitchen door at the back of the house.

After a moment, she knocked on the front door. Almost immediately, there was the sound of running feet and then Brady was standing on the other side of the screen smiling broadly at her, "I's did have my sleep and now we are having a snack before we go swimming with Pa! Are you coming with us to da pool, Belle?"

Bella giggled again as Brady didn't stop to take a breath, but instead he pulled her down the hallway to the kitchen. He held up their joined hands as he announced loudly, "See! I did found my Belle, Pa, I fint dat I's gonna keep her."

Bella loved Brady's mispronunciation of his words and the dimples and golden curls just added to his cuteness. She realized that Carlisle, Esme and Alice were all grinning at her, while Jed, Chelsea and Emma seemed to take Brady's announcement in their stride as they didn't look up from where they were eating.

"I can see you found her, hello Bella, but I'm not sure if you can 'keep' her honey, she's not a pet." Carlisle said gently as he winked at Bella.

"Go and finish your snack, so that you can swim later, Brady" Alice said.

"Come and have some of this delicious pound cake that Alice bought from Sue Black's home bake store, Bella." Esme said.

Bella found herself blushing as she slipped onto a barstool and she quietly thanked Esme as she placed a huge slice of a triple layered, vanilla cake with a caramel and fresh cream filling as well as a cup of tea.

"Thanks" Bella muttered. She listened as Carlisle, Esme and Alice chattered, occasionally they were interrupted by one of the children, but Bella noticed that no one told the children to 'shut the fuck up!' or to 'get the fuck outside, brat!'. Instead their question would be answered with a gentle reminder not to interrupt if someone was talking first.

Most of all, she was fascinated at how they seemed to _touch_ each other all the time. The children would rest their hands on legs, or they would play with a pocket as they waited for attention. While the adults would smooth or tuck hair, gently brush their fingers over cheeks or kiss foreheads.

It was as though in addition to using words, this family seemed to use touch to communicate as well.

It was a refreshing change and Bella was fascinated at how these adults treated their children. She had not seen Alice strike or be harsh with any of them.

_She sure was different from Kate!_ Kate, who even when she wasn't high or drunk, was just plain mean and nasty to the children in her care. That was one of the reasons that Bella hadn't really complained about being pulled out of school. She loved the children and she wondered with a pang how they were getting on without her. She had protected them. She had made sure that they were as clean as possible, washing their clothes by hand in the bathtub after she had bathed them at night.

_Did they hate her? Did they think that she had betrayed them instead of staying to protect them, she had run away to protect herself._

The thoughts made Bella stare blindly down at her plate. Suddenly she couldn't eat anymore.

_How could she be sleeping on a comfortable bed, eating all the food she liked when several hundred miles away, she knew of at least two children that were under the age of seven, that were at the mercy of the Rawlings?_

She felt the food rising from her stomach and she clamped her hand over her mouth and stumbled off the seat before she ran blindly for the bathroom.

Once her stomach was empty, she stood in the bathroom contemplating her next move. She was embarrassed. The Cullen's would think that she was ungrateful, maybe they would ask her to just go –

"Bella? Can I come in, child?" Esme's voice was quiet and concerned.

Bella opened the door slowly and stared at the woman, "I'm sorry." She whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Esme brushed the strands of hair that had come loose off Bella's pasty, sweaty skin, "Oh Bella, there is no need to apologize, Honey. If anything, _I should be apologizing to you._ I know that today must have been very overwhelming for you and I know that Sue's cake is very rich. She never uses less than six eggs and a pound of butter in her cakes. Probably not what you are used to, right?"

Bella nodded.

"Okay, well, there is a new toothbrush under the sink with a small tube of toothpaste that we keep for emergencies just like this one. Afterwards, we will take a drive to the shop and perhaps you can call Jacob Black. Does that sound okay?"

Bella nodded again.

Esme smiled and closed the bathroom door to give her privacy and Bella let out a deep sigh.

She rested her forehead on the cold tiles. It felt so good that she rolled her forehead from side to side while she took deep, calming breaths.

Bella splashed cold water onto her face and after she had brushed her teeth she felt so much better.

She dried her face and hands and opened the door.

Her stomach felt a little sore and Bella pressed her hand above her pubic bone, "Sorry about that baby." She whispered before she walked into the kitchen, only to find that it was empty except for Esme who sat sipping a cup of tea.

"Where – where is everyone?" Bella asked. _Shit! Had she cleared the room, with her barfing?_

"Carlisle and Alice took them to play outside until their food all settles and then they are going to swim. We have a small play set and climbing frame out back, under the large elm tree and the swimming pool is there as well. Are you ready to go?"

Esme handed her a packet of ginger snap cookies and a bottle of juice, "Here we go, this should sooth your stomach. Just take small sips and nibble the cookies slowly."

Bella smiled her thanks.

She followed Esme out to the waiting truck that she had driven in the previous evening. Esme saw the question in her eyes, "This is the farm truck and the SUV is what I use when the grandchildren are with me."

As she drove, Esme explained that the shop had begun as a farm stall about fifteen years earlier as a way for Esme to sell some of her surplus crops, some of her preserves and canned goods. Over the years the popularity of her one hundred percent organic fruit and vegetables, as well as her organic bottling and canning methods had led to more and more people wanting Blue Bonnet's goods.

When Sam had opened his market, Esme had begun to supply him and she had closed the 'fresh' part of the stall and instead, she had increased her stock of bottled and canned goods and recently they had expanded to fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Bella found that she was interested in what Esme was talking about and despite herself; she began to ask questions. She wished that she had a pencil and some paper so that she could take notes.

Esme was impressed by Bella's questions. She asked well thought out and logical questions. When Esme told her that the entire inventory system was captured electronically on a program on the computer, she noticed that Bella could barely conceal her excitement.

_**Bella had been fortunate to go to a school that had a fairly advanced computer program and she had quickly learned to maneuver her way around the internet, as well as having mastered the various word-processing programs. She had even dabbled in some of the graphic art programs and her teacher at the time was impressed with her talent and he would often give her extra tasks and challenges – until the Rawlings had pulled her out of school just as she was about to **_

_**She remembered that about three weeks after she had been removed from school, her teacher had come knocking on the door one morning. Bella had gasped in fright when she had seen geeky Mr. Miles standing on the other side of the broken screen door.**_

"_**Mr. Miles, you can't be here, please. You need to leave!" Bella had whispered frantically before Simon heard her. Simon had worked the night shift at the cold storage plant and he was extra mean if he was woken up before he was ready to get up.**_

_**All of her school books, artwork, and anything relating to school or learning had been burned in the barrel in the back yard the day that Bella had tried to defy her foster parents and she had demanded to go back to school. Simon had forced all of the children to watch as Bella had been made to burn all of her books, report cards, certificates and the many drawings and paintings that she had painstakingly kept over the years.**_

_**Mr. Miles' eyes had grown wide as he saw the bruise on the one side of Bella's face and her split lip.**_

"_**Bella – I-I-I – god! You need t-t-t-to tell someone about this, let me-" Sweet Mr. Miles had stammered until Bella had heard Simon call for her to come and sort out the 'rug rats'.**_

_**She looked back at the sweet young man, who had always encouraged her, and shook her head, "Just forget about me, Mr. Miles. Please." She whispered.**_

_**Bella had closed the door quietly and dashed a tear off her cheek.**_

_**She had never seen him again**_.

Bella wondered what he was doing, if he was still teaching.

"Bella? What's wrong, are you feeling sick?" Esme asked when she saw how pale Bella looked.

"No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something." Bella said vaguely.

Esme turned into Main Street. In broad daylight, Bella could see how charming the town was.

"It's very green here, isn't it?" Bella asked.

Esme laughed, "Well Vermont is one of the greenest states. Our state tree is the Sugar Maple and in February each year the sap is harvested. It's all very exciting. We even have a small grove of Sugar Maples at the farm and we have our own Maple festival in town."

Bella shook her head, "Billy told me about all of the festivals that you have here. Do you celebrate everything?"

"It's one of the charms of small town living, I suppose. Sometimes we team up with neighboring town for events. There is a very deep feeling of community here in Hope Springs. There are a few people that were born here or that have been here for generations, like the Blacks and Carlisle's family, but most of the people in our town have come from the 'outside' and have just decided to stay and make this their home. We care about each other. If someone is sick, some of the women will get together and take care of dinners, or carpool kids to school or clean their home. If someone dies, we rally around and help wherever we can. It's almost as if we are all part of one extended family and of course in all families there is drama, infighting, scandal and chaos, you should come to one of our town meetings – I usually drag Carlisle just for the entertainment factor and of course to piss Edward off. Our economy is thriving, thanks to people coming in – there was even talk at the last town meeting of putting another traffic light in place."

Bella rolled her eyes and snorted, "Yeah, good luck with that. Billy told me how 'safe' the one traffic light has made these really busy streets! And why would you and Carlisle going to the town meeting piss Edward off?"

Esme laughed aloud and her eyes twinkled with mischief, "Oh, I didn't tell you, Edward is the Town Mayer. And well you met him; he can be a little stick in the mud sometimes so we like to go jus to liven things up. Oh Lord, here is our volunteer traffic officer, hello Randall! How's traffic today?" she said as she rolled down the window.

A tall, thin man, who reminded Bella of a stick insect, stuck his face in the open window, "Well hello Farmer Cullen! Traffic was manageable this morning, even though it was market day, although, I must say, you seemed to swerve rather recklessly didn't you? You need to watch that, ma'am, you don't want to find yourself on the wrong side of the law, you know. Now, who is this?" His voice was a little high pitched and Bella bit back the urge laugh. He had dark hair that had been slicked back and his pale blue eyes popped out of his pale face.

Esme rolled her eyes as she opened her door, forcing Randall to step backwards, "Randal this is Bella, Bella this is Randal – there is not much that he hasn't done or participated in. Bella is our friend. She is going to be working in the shops for the foreseeable future."

Bella smiled and Bella looked up so see the 'Purple Cow Diner' across the road. It seemed so long ago that she was there, but the memory wasn't a good one. She grimaced and turned away.

"Here we are," Esme said.

Bella followed more slowly as she looked around. The street was wide and surprisingly busy for a Saturday afternoon. Bella could see stationers, a convenience store and a hairdresser further down the street. Esme nodded and greeted several people as she stood on the sidewalk.

Esme unlocked a framed glass door and Bella heard a small bell tinkle as she pushed the door open and walked inside the darkened room. Bella could see that the roll-down blinds had been lowered in the front windows. Esme walk over to the wall and flicked a switch which flooded the room with warm light from the pretty colored glass chandeliers that hung from the ceiling.

Esme looked at Bella "Well, this is our store, _**Best of Blue**_. Why don't you take a look around?" she pointed to a door on one side of the large room, "That is the inter-leading door to Alice's store, _**Beds and Bags**_."

Bella nodded and she walked around the shop that was quaintly but tastefully decorated in 'country chic'. There was a small table with two chairs on one side, several isles that held jars, cans of various fruit as well as a small commercial refrigerator with bottled juice, butter and eggs. The overall look was one of a warm and inviting country pantry or kitchen. There was a shelf of old fashioned pots and utensils on one wall, next to photographs in blue wooden frames in sepia and black and white. Bella stepped closer and she saw that the photographs were of the street outside, although by the cars, it was many decades before.

The following hour flew by with Esme showing Bella the stock room at the back of the store and explained how they had kept stock in the past.

Esme showed Bella the small office, which was more of a closet, there was desk and a laptop computer and once again Esme watched as Bella's face lit up.

She quickly gave Bella an overview of the inventory program before she looked at her watch.

"Goodness! It's almost four thirty! Let's get going, young lady; you have done more than enough today!"

Bella used the small bathroom before Esme switched off the lights and they left the store.

Bella bit her lip as she looked out of the window. She saw Jacob's garage and remembered that she needed phone Billy and Pat to let them know that she was fine.

A sharp twinge in her lower stomach made her gasp and Esme looked at her in concern, "What's the matter?"

Bella grimaced but shook her head, "Nothing. I think I've got a bit of indigestion or something."

Esme didn't say anything but her frown deepened.

"Esme, do you know where there is a public telephone? I need to phone Billy's friend Pat to let him know that I'm okay. I met Billy at Pat's diner and I promised that I would call him once I got settled. I also would like to phone Jacob Black."

It was the most that Bella had ever said to Esme in one go, "Sure, there is one at on the corner of our road. Do you have money?" Esme asked.

Bella pulled the phone card and the folded piece of paper from her back pocket and held it up.

Esme stopped at the entrance to their driveway, "Um, Bella, we are having a barbeque tomorrow at lunch time, we would love you to join us. Please say yes, Bree will be there as well."

Esme looked so hopeful, that Bella found herself nodding, "Okay."

"Great! Just come on up to the house whenever you want to, okay? We go to church in the morning, if you like to join us?"

Bella snorted and shook her head, "I can't." She said.

Esme pursed her lips, "do you have something against religion?"

Bella shrugged, "No, I just don't believe in all that mumble jumble. That is stuff that they tell people that need to believe in something. I don't, that's all."

She climbed out of the car and thanked Esme quickly before she closed the door and walked over to the phone booth.

Esme sighed as she drove around the side of the house and parked in the garage.

Carlisle was sitting on the back porch sipping a beer and talking to Jasper. Esme saw that Edward was swimming with Jed, Brady and Roscoe while everyone else was sitting around the pool.

"Edward Cullen, is that your dog in my swimming pool? You had better be the one to clean the filter tomorrow!" she called as she walked out onto the porch.

Carlisle chuckled as he rose and put an arm around Esme's waist, "Hello Darling, how was the rest of your day?" Esme asked.

"I'm not as young as I once before, and our grandchildren are tiring!"

Jasper snorted, "Dad, please! You don't keep the law in this town and have to have Brady, Chelsea and Alice all day and night! Besides you run at least ten miles a day!"

Edward wrapped Brady in a towel and he called Roscoe to get out of the pool. He carried his nephew over and deposited him none too gently into Jasper's lap, "I believe this one is yours?" he said with a laugh.

Esme rolled her eyes and she walked inside together with Rosalie and Alice.

One Saturday night each month, the family got together to have a 'movie night'. Supper was normally 'comfort food', macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, soup with grilled cheeses or something similar. The children had their own version of movie night. They were set up in the play room, on the large camping mattresses that Esme kept for them, with sleeping bags, bowls of popcorn and juice.

Every month a name of a movie was selected from a hat. One grownup movie and one childrens' movie was chosen by Carlisle or Esme.

Esme put the large dish of macaroni cheese into the oven and closed the door. She was so grateful that both of her daughters-in-law cooked and baked so well and that they both enjoyed cooking. It made preparing family meals much easier.

Rosalie and Alice used the spare bathrooms to bathe the children before they were sent off to the playroom to eat at the table that Esme had placed there for them.

Once the children had eaten and Jasper had settled them onto the mattresses with blankets, pillows and 'movie food', the adults sat at the dining room table enjoying their dinner.

"Hey, Mom, how did Bella do today?" Alice asked quietly.

Not quietly enough as silence fell over the table.

Edward frowned, but quickly smoothed his face out before he looked up to see Esme watching him. He smiled at her encouragingly, "Yeah, Mom is she working in the orchard?"

Esme shook her head, "Not exactly, I have offered Bella the position at the shop to be in charge of the stock and inventory. I've spoken to Alice and she will be working between both shops and you know that we can use the help."

Jasper and Emmett shared a pointed look before Jasper gave Emmett a slight nod. Emmett looked over at Esme, "Mom, we have spoken to Dad about Bella. We know that you and the girls are taken with her. Dad has also changed his opinion about her and you know that we trust your judgment, but…"

Esme's eyebrows shot up and her eyes narrowed slightly, "But…" she prompted.

Edward decided to interject to stop the argument that he could just see on the horizon, "Well, Em, Mom knows that she is going to have to get Bella's details before she can put her on the payroll, and I'm sure that she is anxious to make sure that Bella isn't underage, doesn't have a record and isn't a junkie or a runaway, so surely we can shelve this conversation until we have the information that we need." He spoke quietly and when he was finished, he noticed that Esme was smiling at him in approval.

Emmett sighed before he and Jasper nodded reluctantly, "Okay, but will you at least let me check the information out?"

Jasper frowned, "No, that's my job as the Sherriff in this town, I will check her information out and then if I need you to, you can speak to your goon friends!"

Carlisle chuckled at Esme, "What age are they again? Okay Boys, not at the table! Bella seems to be a lovely young woman, who I think has had a really tough life, from what Bella has told her."

Esme didn't want to break Bella's trust but she also felt as if she needed to allay some of their concerns, and so she decided to tell them as much as she could, "I think that Bella has been living on the streets for whatever reason. She doesn't have a home or family, she told me this morning that she is an orphan. I don't think that she finished school either, but she is really bright, even though she reminds me at every turn that she is 'stupid' or 'dumb' but I think that those are labels that she has heard over the years."

Rosalie shook her head sadly, "She is so thin! She reminds me of that stray kitten that Al and I found over on Harvard Road, when we first moved here?"

"Poochie?" Alice asked as she moved to sit on Jasper's lap. She leaned against his chest as he gently rubbed her back. He knew that Alice was moved by Bella's story, or non-story, but he also knew that he had to maintain some semblance of logic before they were all taken in by the girl.

Rosalie nodded, "Yeah, Poochie. Bella seems wary and just like when we brought Poochie home and she would hiss and spit and then she would try and hide away and try and make herself invisible, and Bella seems to do the same. It's almost as if she is waiting for someone to lash out at her."

"Well, Bella is coming to lunch tomorrow, so I expect all three of you boys to be nice to her. Do I make myself clear?" Carlisle said with a deceptively mild tone, but his blue eyes flashed in a warning.

Bree arrived home and she quickly washed her hands before she joined her family at the table.

Conversation turned to general topics.

After they had finished dinner, they all helped to clean the kitchen before they put the movie on.

"Mom, do you think that Bella is alright down in the shed?" Bree asked.

"I was just wondering the same thing." Esme said.

Carlisle looked at his wife steadily, "Esme…" he said in a quiet warning.

"No, Carlisle, I'm not suggesting that we have her move in, but I was thinking that she should have a way of getting hold of us."

"What about my old phone?" Bree suggested excitedly.

Edward cocked an eyebrow, "Old phone? Oh come on Brianna, that phone wasn't even a year old-"

"It's none of your business, Edward!" Bree snapped before she turned her back on him to face her parents. "I could put all the numbers that she needs, like mom's, and mine we could buy her a prepaid card so that it won't cost you anything. What do you think?"

Carlisle nodded, "That sounds like a good idea. I'll pop over and see if Embry or Lauren will open up for me."

Embry and Lauren Atera lived just a few streets away from their store, The Atera General Convenience. Embry had grown up in Hope Springs and one year when he was in college, he brought a young woman home with him for the summer. Two years later, Lauren and Embry were married and Embry had taken over the store from his father. Lauren had first worked in and then she had purchased a lovely bed and breakfast when her grandmother had died and left her some money. She and Embry had moved into the cottage at the back of the property, Dorset Manor.

"I'll go, Dad. I wanted to talk to Embry anyway; Lauren is still experiencing bad morning sickness with this one." All eyes turned to Edward.

He looked around, "What?"

Emmett frowned, still sulking from having had his plans shot down earlier, "Why would you want to do anything for Bella?"

Edward rolled his eyes, "Because, well, I was really rude to her the other night and I wanted to apologize to her in person." He ignored everyone's shocked looks and turned to his mother, "Do you think that she will be okay with that?"

Esme smiled at her son, "I think that she will probably give you a hard time, but it is a very nice gesture, Edward. Thank you, Honey. Bree, please go and fetch your phone – in fact, rather get me the spare phone. I don't think that Bella would like something so, um high tech."

Bree looked as if she was going to argue with Esme but she caught the look in her mother's eye and she quickly went to fetch the phone in the hallway dresser drawer.

Even though everyone in the family had a cell phone, Esme had insisted that they keep a phone, an older model, that was easy to use, fully charged and in the dresser drawer, just in case they ever needed it or someone else needed it. Carlisle was famous for forgetting to charge his phone and then he would rush back home and take the spare phone.

Bree handed Edward the phone reluctantly, "Can I come with you?"

"I want to go. I like Bella." Alice piped up.

"So do I, let's go and see her." Rosalie added.

Edward shook his head, "No! This isn't some family outing! I am going alone."

"Just don't make her run again, Eddie!" Bree retorted.

Edward stuck his tongue out at her as he walked to the front door.

"Very mature, Edward!"

"Are you gonna go see my Belle, Uncle Edward?"

Edward turned around to see Brady standing in the doorway with a frown on his face.

"Well, Buddy, I'm going to see Bella."

"I's gonna marry her, you know." Brady stated quietly.

Edward's fought his smile, "Really? Did you ask her?"

Brady shook his head, "Naw, she knows. Girls know."

Edward's eyes met his brother's, "Looks like you have some explaining to do, Jas".

Jasper smiled and bent down to pick his son up, "Come on Casanova, let's go potty."

Edward called Roscoe and they made their way out to his pick-up.

He settled Roscoe at home before he went to Embry's house down the street.

After he explained what he needed, Embry was only too happy to open the store for his childhood friend.

He explained that Lauren had gone to bed early and their eight year old daughter, Kelly was sleeping at his parents' house for the night.

They quickly got what Edward needed and he purchased twenty dollars of airtime.

He quickly put the airtime onto the phone and then he spent ten minutes checking that Bella had the numbers for Esme, the house, the shops, Alice, Bree, Rosalie and the police station as well as Billy and Jacob Black.

On impulse he added his own cell number as well as his office and his home line.

Once he was sure that Bella had all the numbers that she needed, he set off for his parents' farm.

He didn't want to think about the reason that he was so eager to see Bella again. He just knew that the girl had been on his mind the entire day.

He kept seeing her wide chocolate brown eyes. He kept seeing the fear, anger and shock in her eyes as they had looked at each other at the diner.

He saw the fury deep in her eyes as the words that he had spoken resonated with her.

Just by looking at her, Edward had known that she wasn't a junkie. Yes, she was thin, but Edward could see that her eyes were clear and if they were haunted, it wasn't from drugs. No, there was something else in Bella's eyes.

She had the oldest eyes that Edward had ever seen. She had seen and lived a life that seemed to have sucked all of the joy and exuberance that any normal young woman would have.

Edward parked at the main house and decided to walk back to the shed. As he was walking he realized that Bella was walking in front of him. He could see that she was carrying books and what looked like a bag in her arms.

He wanted to call out to her but he didn't want to scare her, so he just walked faster.

Suddenly Bella stopped and screamed as she spun around, dropping the books and the bag as she did so.

=====HS=====

Bella had gone to the kitchen for dinner only to find that it was empty except for Paul and Rachel.

"Hey there Bella! I was wondering if you were going to join us for dinner. Saturday nights are really informal, so Paul is going to put burgers on the grill and we are just going to have some fries and a garden salad with that, so can you wait for about ten minutes to eat?"

Bella nodded as she hovered near the front door.

Paul smiled at her, "Why don't you come in and keep Rachel company while I do the burgers. She loves having company when she is watching reruns of 'Cake Boss'!"

He jumped up just as Rachel threw a pillow at him, "Go and do some work, you lazy bum!"

Bella found herself smiling at their antics. They were cute together.

Bella poured herself a glass of juice before she joined Rachel on one of the sofas. She couldn't help but look at the books on the one wall.

"That is a lot of books." She remarked as her eyes looked over the shelves hungrily.

"Yeah, Doc and May-May are really into education and gaining knowledge so they are forever putting books in here for the staff. If you want to read anything, just help yourself." She said as she waved towards the shelves.

Bella's mouth dropped open, "Really? They won't mind?"

Rachel smiled at her briefly, "Not at all, they will be thrilled that someone is using the 'library' at last. God ahead and have a look. There are general knowledge books, books on travel, biographies, and novels, really whatever you want."

Bella bit her lip and she hesitated for about three seconds before she got to her feet and walked over to the book shelves. She felt as if she wanted to pee just from excitement.

Her fingers touched the spines as she read the titles and after an encouraging smile from Rachel she began to pull books out to read their flyleaves before she put them back.

"How many can I take?" she asked almost in a whisper.

"As many as you want to, but honestly, Bella, you are going to be here for a while so they will still be here when you want them. Perhaps you should take a mix of books because everyone needs to read a good story before they go to sleep."

Paul had to call her name three times before Bella heard him. She actually enjoyed eating dinner with the couple. Paul was quiet and funny, while Rachel kept Bella entertained with stories of her childhood. Bella found out that Rachel was Jacob's sister and Bella found herself relaxing further.

She was shocked when she realized that it was after nine o'clock. She said good night to the Lahotes and made her way towards the barn. She had finally chosen two books and Rachel had given her two muffins to have with her breakfast the next morning as she and Paul went to church. Rachel told Bella to make herself at home and she showed Bella where she would leave the scrambled egg mixture in the large industrial refrigerator.

=====HS=====

The night was really dark and Bella shivered slightly. She heard noises that she wasn't used to and every sound made her jump.

Just as she got to the barn, Bella heard soft footsteps walking towards her. She screamed and dropped the books and the bag of muffins as the large figure walked beneath a lamp.

Edward smiled at her, "Hi Bella, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Edward Cullen."

Bella's chest was heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. "Jezzzzzus! _Are you fucking crazy?_ What are you trying to do, _scare the shit out of me_? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Edward ignored her outburst and knelt down instead to pick up the items that Bella had dropped. He smiled at her and Bella felt her pounding heart stutter.

He really was quite beautiful.

Edward rubbed his free hand over the back of his neck, "Um, thanks?"

Bella moaned as she realized that she had spoken aloud.

She crossed her arms protectively over her stomach and glared at him, "What do you want, Mister Cullen?" she snapped as she glanced around them before she glared at him again.

"It's _Doctor_ Cullen actually and my mother asked me to check that you had everything that you need. There isn't a phone in here and this place is quite isolated so she asked me to give you this."

Bella looked down, but she couldn't see what he was holding in his hand.

"Can we go inside at least? I promise that I won't try to scare you again." He asked.

Bella shook her head, "Whatever, but if you try anything, I promise you _Doctor Cullen_, you will end up with your balls in your mouth!" Bella sneered before she pushed past him and made her way into the shed. She unlocked the door and stood aside to let Edward walk into her room.

Edward tried to ignore the way his dick twitched at Bella's threat, he knew that she meant every word but that didn't mean that she didn't sound as sexy as fuck as she spat it out at him.

_You are so fucked, Cullen! You need to get laid, man. Seriously. She isn't even your type!_

Bella was standing glaring at him with her eyebrows raised, "So, are you coming in or what?"

Edward nodded and walked into the small room that he and Jasper had built one year at his mother's request.

The small room hadn't changed much but Edward saw that Esme had put one of their old quilts on the bed and she had hung a blind in the window.

Bella was standing in the doorway staring at him, "So? You wanted to give me something from your mother?" she tapped her foot impatiently.

Edward put the two books and the small brown bag on the counter before he ran his hand through his hair.

He had studied for ten years to become a doctor and he couldn't seem to find words with this cocky little girl.

He moaned inwardly; _don't say cock in her presence! Do not think about your cock in her presence!_

"Look Bella, I volunteered to come and see you. I had to fight off my sister, my sisters-in-law and my four year old nephew!"

Bella smiled at the mention of Brady, "He is cute." She said.

Edward smiled again and Bella's heart skipped another beat, "He still insists that he is 'gonna marry his Belle."

Bella chuckled as Edward motioned to the chair, "May I sit down?"

She sighed and walked into her room and sat on the bed facing him.

She saw that he was wearing a grey t-shirt with a soft looking chambray shirt. His old jeans had a tear in the knee and his sneakers looked even more broken than hers were.

He looked younger and more approachable than he had when she had seen him in the diner.

Edward could not take his eyes off the woman sitting in front of him. She was even more enchanting today.

Her hair looked as if it was at least five different shades of brown. Her chocolate brown eyes and thick lashes made him want to run his finger over the shadow that her long lashes cast over her cheeks.

Her plump pink lips looked…._fuck_! Edward felt his cock begin to strain in his jeans. He shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Bella, I know that we got off on the wrong foot. You overheard some things that I may have said to my mother –"

"Excuse me? '_May have said?_' Are you high? You did say them, I heard you – and probably so did half of this insane town! You were - an _asshole_ and you hadn't even met me! I know your type, _Doctor_! You think that anyone else who isn't as genteel as you and who's family didn't come over on the fucking _Mayflower _is beneath you and your family – well let me tell you something-"

"I'm trying to fucking apologize to you, Bella! Fuck! Don't you ever give a guy a break?" Edward ground out as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

This wasn't going the way that he had envisaged it – not at all. She was the most infuriating person that Edward had ever met!

_Grrrrr!_

Bella stared at Edward in shock before she began to laugh. And laugh. She rolled over on her bed and hugged her middle tightly as she laughed while Edward stared at her in shock.

Eventually she wiped her eyes and jumped to her feet with a quick, "Gotta pee!"

Edward propped one shoe on his knee as he waited for her to finish in the bathroom.

When she came out he watched her mouth twitch before she sat down and looked at him, "Did you, um did you _growl_ at me?"

Edward felt his cheeks grow unusually warm and he felt himself smiling at her, "Hmm, I think I did. You seem to have that effect on me."

Bella flicked her bangs off his forehead, "Well I'm beginning to think that everyone in this town is barking mad!" she retorted, but she couldn't stop a small smile from breaking through her tough veneer.

Bella watched as Edward looked down at his shoes and his thick, dark lashes swept his cheeks.

"Your eyelashes are long." Bella wanted to smack herself – what the fuck was _that_?

Bright green eyes met chocolate brown ones in surprise and amusement.

"You have no verbal filter."

"Yeah well, I don't like bullshit. I don't like being lied to."

"I will never lie to you."

They stared at each other in silence before Edward felt the phone in his hand.

_The phone! Shit!_

"Oh! Here, my mom wanted you to have a way to reach her or, or one of us if you need to."

Bella stared at the small phone in Edward's hand, "She bought me a phone?"

"What? No! No of course not – this is the family spare one. My dad's always forgetting to charge his anyway it was my mom and Bree's idea. Yeah, so they wanted you to have this one." Even to his own ears, he knew that he sounded lame.

Bella stared at the phone as if it was a spider.

"I, um, no thanks." She mumbled and Edward watched puzzled as her eyes became hard.

"Just take the phone, Bella. I bought you a prepaid card and so it's not going to cost us anything and it's" he said with mild exasperation – he had never known anyone to disagree with him more!

"I said no! I'm not a fucking charity case, _Doctor_ Cullen!"

Edward hissed, "Oh my God! Will you just fucking stop being so fucking judgmental for once in your stuck up life? Just take the fucking phone, Bella! It's not charity – it is a necessity. You are an employee of Blue Bonnet and you need to be contactable whenever my mother or Alice needs you!"

Edward got up and tossed the phone onto the bed before he walked to the door, "Before you make any more of your snide little comments about us being charitable or snobbish, why don't you get off your high horse and look in the mirror, Bella? Not everyone is out to get you. The only one who thinks that she is a charity case around here is you."

Bella sat staring at her hands as Edward walked out and closed her door quietly. She heard him open the shed door and then it closed and she heard his footsteps hesitate before he began to walk away muttering to himself.

Before she could think about what she was doing, she was on her feet and out of the door.

"Edward! Wait! Edward!" she shouted.

She saw him stop walking but he kept his back towards her.

He wasn't going to make this easy for her.

Bella took a deep breath and she walked to where he was standing.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly to his back.

Edward didn't move but Bella didn't see the way his mouth curved upwards in a slight smile that he quickly squashed.

Bella huffed as she stepped to stand in front of him, "I'm sorry. That was really rude of me. You were being nice and you were going to apologize and I was rude to you. I didn't give you a chance and that was wrong of me."

Edward looked down at her, "Well now, apology accepted. I am sorry that I misjudged you the other night. I would like to start over."

Bella stared up into his green eyes and although she didn't understand everything that she could see there, she did see that he was being truthful.

"Okay."

Edward smiled a heart wrenching crooked smile that set Bella's heart racing as her skin prickled.

"Okay. Hello, I'm Edward Cullen." He said softly as he held out his large hand.

Bella licked her lips, "Hello, I'm Bella. Bella _Swan_." She whispered as she placed her slightly trembling small hand into his.

Edward felt warmth radiate in his chest. _Bella Swan_. He knew that she was telling the truth, he could see the fear on her face and the tremble in her fingers. He felt a surge of warmth going between their joined hands.

"It is very nice to meet you, Bella Swan."

"Please tell Esme that I am grateful for the phone. But there is a problem…"

Edward frowned, "What?"

"I, um, well; I don't know how to use a cell phone. I've never had one before." Edward realized that their heads were almost touching, they were so close.

He grinned at her, "I can help you with that. let me show you how to answer your phone and make a call. Bree can show you more tomorrow. She is the queen of phones!"

They turned back to the shed and they both realized that they were still holding hands.

They both jumped away from each other and walked back to the shed quickly.

Edward showed Bella which button to push to make a call, and then he told her that Esme's numbers were programmed into it. He showed her the directory and she noticed that all of the Cullen's numbers were programmed into it as well as Jacob Black's business and private numbers and Billy Black as well.

"There is a phone charger in the box as well as ear phones if you want to listen to music. But Bree will give all of that to you when you come up to the house tomorrow. Mom said that they will be home after eleven."

Edward ran his hands through his hair, suddenly feeling nervous. "Well, I'll let you get back to your evening. Good night Bella."

Bella smiled at him, "Thanks again. Night, Edward."

They stood staring at each other until they realized what they were doing and Edward left quickly.

Bella locked her bedroom door and then she sank back against it.

Bella undressed and after putting on her clean wife beater, she climbed into bed and picked up the book that she had taken about travel in Europe.

Every now and again she would find herself smiling and she would touch the phone that she had put on the pillow next to her. She thought about Edward Cullen. He really was so damn handsome!

Edward took his time walking back to the house. When he got there, he noticed that the movie was on already. His family was dotted around the room snuggling to their significant others. Bree was lying on the floor and she turned as Edward quietly joined her.

"Did she like the phone?" Bree whispered.

Edward took a handful of popcorn from the bowl on her lap and nodded, "she was very grateful."

Bree turned and she watched as Edward chewed the popcorn. She knew that giving Bella the phone had not taken almost an hour, but she didn't say anything as she turned back to the screen.

Across the darkened room, Esme Cullen hid her smile in her husband's shoulder. She had seen Edward's face when he had first walked into the room. He looked – smitten. She looked across the room at her son and noticed that he had a dreamy smile on his face which had nothing to do with the blazing guns on the screen.

_Hmmm_, perhaps Bella was someone they had all needed for a long time.

=====HS=====

It was way past midnight when Edward finally climbed into bed. He had spent almost two hours at the piano once he had gone home.

Edward groaned as he felt himself growing harder again – "What? Once in the shower isn't enough?" He snapped as he gritted his teeth.

Apparently not.

With a resigned sigh, he reached over to his nightstand and took out the small bottle of lube that was almost empty, after only a week, and poured a generous amount into his hand.

"Fuuuuck" he hissed as his fingers twisted the head of his cock. Edward shuddered as he began to stroke himself firmly at an accelerated rate.

_Bella's skin, fuck, licking the small pulse at the base of her throat, hmmm, savoring a delicately pink nipple, teasing it before he pulled it into his mouth and suckled against her. _

Pre-cum leaked out as Edward squeezed the top and twisted, heightening the sensation of his piercing.

Edward imagined kissing Bella's flat stomach, nipping her hip bones before he delved to where her pussy waited for his touch. He wondered if she had soft curls that covered that most sensitive part of her. _Hmmm, fuck, just a little more… nuzzling between her sweet thighs until he found her waiting clit, that would be throbbing, silently begging him to suck, lick and lap at her sweet juices._

"Bella!" cum spewed over his fist and stomach as he bucked his hips against his hand.

Edward lay panting for several minutes before he roused himself to take another shower – ice cold this time.

Everyone had kept asking him what was wrong with him, but he had barely heard them. He felt as if he was in a waking dream or dreamily awake. Bella had cast a spell on him.

She had enchanted him so that all he could do was think of her. _Her laugh. Her smile. Her eyes. Her skin._

But it wasn't just her physical attributes that had him in a state. He liked her. He actually liked her.

She was quick witted and funny. She was the most frustrating woman that he had ever met, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss her, or shake her – really hard, but one thing was for sure, he wanted to get to know her better and he wasn't sure if he could stay away from her.

Or if he even wanted to.

Strangely enough, across town, Bella sighed as she wondered the exact same thing. Did she even want to try and stay away from him?

**A/N: Well, what do you think? I must say that I am completely blown away by the wonderful response that I have had to this story! Thank you to each one for reading, putting this on alert, sending me such wonderful reviews and encouragement. I know that Bella seems weak, but she is one of the strongest characters – in fact I hope that all of my characters are strong – even if they have flaws, surely that is the beauty of them.**

**I would like to say that I would like to update faster than I did with PLU, but in case something happens, please know that it won't be longer than two weeks without an update. (hopefully every week to ten days?)**

**With love and hugs,**

**Michele **


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 6…**_

_**She was quick witted and funny. She was the most frustrating woman that he had ever met, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss her, or shake her… really hard, but one thing was for sure, he wanted to get to know her better and he wasn't sure if he could stay away from her.**_

_**Or if he even wanted to.**_

_**And she had told him her real name, and for some reason Edward hadn't divulged that bit of information to his family, but he felt that it was important that Bella realize that she could trust him.**_

_**Bella Swan – she was the most interesting, frustrating and diverse combination of hell cat and lost little girl that he had ever seen and he couldn't wait to get to know the real Bella Swan**_.

**CHAPTER 7 – FRENIMIES?**

Bella woke up the next morning and stretched. Her fingers touched the cell phone that she had put under her pillow the night before. She rolled onto her stomach and smiled into her pillow.

"You are being ridiculous Bella! Wise up! Edward Cullen, sorry, _Doctor_ Edward Cullen will never look at you like that! For all you know he has a girlfriend or a fiancée or anyone else. He is not going to choose a high school dropout with no job, no prospects and a baby on the way!"

With that she pulled the phone out and checked the time. It was still early, but for Bella it was late – almost seven!

She climbed out of bed and she made the bed with a grin, which turned into a frown as she looked at the bed. It still looked messy, not like when she had first come here. She made a decision and quickly stripped her sheets and comforter off the bed and she unlocked her bedroom door and looked around for a suitable place to hang them up to air. There was a cross beam which was within her reach and Bella used the chair in her room to stand on so that she could hang the bedding up.

Once that was done, Bella put her small kettle on to boil and she decided to run a bath. Vinnie had included four disposable 'lady' razors and sachets of bubble bath and Bella poured two sachets into the water.

She made herself a mug of tea and cut up a few pieces of fruit to go with her two muffins. She carried everything back to the bathroom and put her breakfast on a stool that was in the corner of the room, before she sank down into the warm water.

Bella closed her eyes as she sank back in the tub. She had never been so wasteful with water before. Baths at the orphanage were regular but she had only been allowed to bath until she was eight years old and then, showers became the norm. Even when she had bathed, the water barely covered the bottom of the bath because the house mother was always looking for ways to save money.

She ate her breakfast and drank her tea before she shaved her legs, underarms and then she trimmed the hair between her legs. Kate had insisted that all of the girls in her house shave themselves bare there. Since she had run away, Bella hadn't been able to keep up with the ritual. She liked the feeling of being bare, but out of defiance to Kate and Simon she left a small tuft of the fine brown curls.

When the water began to get cold, Bella shivered and got out of the water and dried herself. She pulled out one of the small bottles of body lotion and sighed as she smoothed the cream over her legs, arms and she even put some on her face that had a little pink from the sun the previous day.

Bella looked at her meager belongings and wished for the first time that she had nice clothes to wear to the Cullens.

She rubbed her stomach gently, "Hey there baby. Are you okay still? We are going to be just fine, you know."

She dressed in clean underwear and put on her pair of blue jeans and her clean wife beater. She pulled her shirt on over it and tied it in the waist. She brushed her hair and decided to leave it loose. After she had cleaned her bathroom and remade her bed, Bella checked the time on her phone and saw that it was a little after nine. She picked up one of the books that she had taken from the bunkhouse and she decided to find a shady spot outside to read.

She locked her door and pocketed the key, her phone and twelve dollars that were the last of her 'mad money'. She liked to keep money on her for emergencies or something. When she was done, Bella walked towards the Cullen's house. She walked around the side of the house and saw a hammock that was tied between two large trees. It looked really inviting and after a few moments of deliberation Bella decided to get on.

The minutes later, and about four falls, she was in a foul mood. The stupid thing wouldn't stay still, and every time she tried to climb on, she would just topple off the other side!

Bella brushed the knees of her jeans off and she sat down at the base of one of the trees.

She was soon lost in the story of a woman who had decided to travel to several countries for a year.

She was so engrossed that she didn't hear a car approaching the house, nor did she hear the man or the dog that went into the house.

Her first inclination that she wasn't alone was when a wet nose touched her hand.

Bella screamed and she immediately curled herself into a fetal position and covered her head with her hands.

"Damn! Roscoe! Come here boy! Heel!"

Bella was shaking and crying softly in pure terror.

Edward had decided to go to his parents' house early. He had paper work to complete and Roscoe could explore the grounds, was what he told himself, but deep down he knew that the real reason was that he was looking forward to seeing Bella again.

He walked through the house and put a pot of coffee on before he made his way out to the back. Roscoe was skipping next to him and he burst out of the back doors and shot across the yard.

Edward frowned and wondered what the dog was up to, when he heard a blood curdling scream. He looked up to see Bella pulling herself into a tight ball and he immediately called to the dog.

Roscoe obey his command reluctantly.

"Down! Stay!" The dog sank to the ground at Edward's feet and he put his head on his paws.

Edward looked down at the sad dog and quickly bent down and stroked his ears, "She is just scared, boy. We need to be gentle with her."

He made his way over to where Bella was laying. He could hear her whimpering and he could see how her body was shaking.

He knelt down next to her, "Bella? Bella, it's me. It's Edward, you are safe." He said quietly.

He just kept talking to her and after a moment he reached out and gently touched her back.

Bella jumped and yelped, "Please, don't let him hurt me!"

"Shh, it's okay. Roscoe is not going to hurt you. See for yourself, he is way over there and he won't hurt you. I promise." Edward sat down next to Bella and he continued to stroke her back and talk softly to her.

Her shaking finally stopped and she took a shaky breath.

"Can you sit up for me?"

Bella slowly uncurled herself and she lifted her arms and opened her eyes.

They were red and swollen. Her cheeks were blotchy and wet.

Edward thought that she was beautiful.

"Can you sit up?"

Bella nodded, and when he reached for her hand, she didn't pull away, but she let him help her to sit up.

Her eyes scanned the enormous back yard and when she saw Roscoe her breathing caught.

She looked at Edward in panic but he was quick to still her fears, "He is not going to hurt you. Roscoe is not a guard dog. He is my friend and he has never bitten anyone. He plays with my nieces and nephews all the time. He is very obedient and he will obey me or my family."

"P-promise?"

"I promise. Now, can you get up? Are you hurt?"

Bella shook her head, "No. Do, um, do you ch-chain him up?" she whispered.

Edward shook his head, "I would never chain an animal up. That is cruel and terrible. Roscoe will protect us, but he is not aggressive. I would never have an aggressive dog around my family."

Bella watched the dog across the yard. He looked at her with such sad eyes that she felt herself smiling slightly.

"He looks sad."

Edward glanced at his dog and then rolled his eyes as he looked back at Bella in amusement, "He is a really good actor, but he is sad. He loves exploring my parents' yard and he isn't sure what he did wrong."

Bella brushed her hair out of her eyes, "I'm sorry that I ruined his day. I'm scared of dogs."

Edward nodded, "That's okay. I will take him home and he can run around there."

Bella bit her lip and looked across the yard again. He didn't _look_ fierce – but she was frightened.

"I should go…" she whispered and she slowly got to her feet.

"No! No, don't go. Ross can go home, it's no big deal. Look, why don't you go and clean yourself up and I will quickly take him home. I will be back in ten minutes – tops." Edward stood up quickly, his eyes running over her to make sure that she was indeed unharmed.

Bella let out a shaky breath, "Okay. Thank you and I'm sorry if I'm ruining your day. Or Roscoe's day."

Edward chuckled, "He'll get over it, I promise. I will be back before you know it."

Bella stood by the tree and she watched Edward lope over to where Roscoe lay. Bella noticed that the dog had not moved.

Edward spoke quietly to him and the dog stood up and with a last sad look in her direction, he followed his master back into the house.

Seconds later, Bella heard a car start up and drive away.

She quickly gathered her book and she almost ran all the way back to the shed. When she walked into the bathroom, she was shock at what she looked like.

Her face was streaked with dried tears and dirt.

Bella quickly washed her face and hands and brushed her hair. She had noticed that although Edward was dressed casually in shorts, a T-shirt with a plaid button down over it, he looked well dressed. Bella wished that she had something pretty to wear.

She poked her tongue out at her reflection and locked her bedroom door again, after making sure that her phone was in her back pocket.

As she walked into the leafy lane, Edward drove past her and waved.

Without realizing it, Bella's steps quickened, as did her heart and in no time she joined him in front of the main house.

"Was Roscoe mad at me?" she asked as she walked up to wear he was standing next to his car.

Edward smiled at her as he looked at her from under his lashes.

"He never stays mad for long. I gave him a bone and made sure that he had all his toys and fresh water and he was fine, well as long as there aren't too many bumble bees in the yard this afternoon."

"Bumble bees?"

Edward nodded, "Oh yes; he is afraid of them, well pretty much anything that flies actually. He is a wonderful protector, as long as you aren't being attacked by moths, bees or too many butterflies." Edward said seriously.

Bella laughed and Edward tried to ignore the warm feeling in his chest at the sound.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Cold water would be nice, it's getting pretty warm."

Edward walked into the kitchen and pulled two aluminum water bottles from the fridge. "Bree was on a 'save the environment' a while ago and so we all had to switch to refillable water bottles and water filters at home."

Bella took the bottle from him and stood silently in the middle of the room. The silence stretched until Edward cleared his throat, "Um, would you like to take a walk and see some more of the property – we can keep in the shade."

Bella had no idea why she wanted to spend more time in the man's company, but she did. He intrigued her. When she had first met Edward, she had thought that he was one of the usual 'stick-up-the-ass' assholes that were quick to judge, but the more time that she spent around him, the more Bella realized that Edward was different. There was something about him. A hint of… something? Danger? Wildness? She wasn't sure but it was there, lurking in his eyes – almost like a mischievousness that he didn't quite manage to hide. _Hmmm – interesting, I wonder what else he's hiding._

"Sure, let's go."

Edward led her out to the back yard – although that was an understatement. It was really a large piece of land, with a huge swimming pool, a grove of trees; children's play area, all enclosed by a natural wooden fence.

Edward led her across to the back fence and Bella saw a gate in one section of the fence. He opened it when they reached it and motioned for Bella to walk through.

She found herself at the beginning of a forest with a wide dirt path that led through it.

"My parent's only enclosed the yard when Jas, Em and I kept disappearing into the woods and my mother would spend hours worrying and looking for us. Before that, there was no boundary fence because this entire section is part of the yard. The gate was padlocked for many years." Edward said as they walked side by side.

"It sounds like you were all a handful." Bella said.

Edward laughed, "We were, if you ask my mother, she will tell you that the reason that her salon bill is so high is because of us. I think my mom was more relieved than anything else when she found out that Bree was a girl."

Bella sighed, "It must be nice to have older brothers. You know someone to look out for you."

Edward noticed that she immediately ducked her head and hid her face as she muttered something that Edward couldn't hear.

They walked in silence for a while until Bella noticed the bright light up ahead, "What's that?"

Edward smiled, "You'll see."

Bella rolled her eyes, "Whatever!"

Edward laughed and wiggled his eyebrows, "You don't fool me Bella Swan; you are dying to know what lies over yonder!"

Bella pushed his arm playfully, "Who the fuck says "what lies over yonder?" You really are a strange one, aren't you? I'm beginning to think that everyone here is crazy."

Edward reached out impulsively and took hold of Bella's hand, "Oh come on Miss Prickly; let's go!"

Edward began to jog down the path and Bella found herself jogging right alongside him. She realized that he was holding her hand and she wasn't even protesting. By that time Edward had come to a halt and Bella almost ran into his back.

"Oomph! Hey! Oh wow. This is amazing." Bella looked up and she saw a meadow that was surrounded by the trees. The meadow was almost a perfect circle and in the center stood a giant tree. Bella saw a collection of flattish rocks on one side of the tree. There was a sturdy looking plank and rope swing that hung from a large overhanging branch.

Something about the setting made her want to whisper. She looked around at the clusters of wildflowers that covered the area. There were single flowers and clusters in all the colors of the rainbow. Bella didn't think that she had ever seen any place more beautiful.

Edward was enjoying watching her reaction to the place that was very special to him and his family.

Bella turned around in a circle, with her arms spread out wide, "How did this open space get here?" she whispered.

Edward smiled and he walked into the center of the field and sat down on one of the boulders.

He motioned to the swing, "Take a seat."

Bella walked towards the swing. She pushed it gently and watched as it moved forwards and then back.

Edward watched as she chewed on her bottom lip, "Go ahead, it's safe. We use this place all the time and the swing is serviced regularly, so 'cop a squat'."

Bella put her water bottle on the grass and began to sway herself.

"So the story with this field is that originally this was going to be the site for the main house. There is a stream over to that side," Edward pointed to somewhere behind him and Bella could just discern the sound of running water, "and it should have been perfect. Anyway, their first winter here was a wet one and the river overflowed and it flooded this area that my great-great-great grandfather had spent months clearing. So they moved the location slightly up-hill and that's where the house stands today."

Bella smiled, "That's a nice story."

Edward smiled, "This area was first turned into a vegetable garden and then my great grandmother decided to propagate wildflowers. The bluebonnets are tricky, but you can still see them sprouting up," he pointed to the beautiful blue/purple flowers. "My mother spends hours in here sometimes alone and at other times she will bring the grandchildren. This place is very special to us."

"Now it's your turn, so tell me something about yourself Bella." Edward said.

Bella's head shot up and she looked spooked for a moment, "I'm an orphan. I don't know who my mother was; never mind where my family came from."

Edward made sure to keep his face impassive, "I almost dropped out of College at the end of my freshman year."

He looked at Bella with raised eyebrows. She took a sip of water before she spoke again, "I'm afraid of dogs because – the foster people that I lived with used to keep two mean mother fucking, big-ass Dobermans in their back yard and if we kids got out of hand they would lock us outside with the dogs." Edward could see the anger rolling off Bella's stiff body, before she began to push herself again and she slowly relaxed.

Edward quickly opened his water bottle and he took a huge gulp of water so that he could process the information that Bella had just given him.

_Is that who she was running from? Was she on the run from her foster family?_

Edward pushed these questions aside as they carried on their informal game of 'twenty questions'.

After a few general comments, dislikes of food (Bella snorted and said that she would eat anything that wasn't out of a dumpster and was relatively fresh); favorite music (Bella's answer had surprised Edward. She admitted to enjoying the classical music that she had grown especially fond of hearing in the hallway of the music department at school); and hobbies (Bella rolled her eyes "Duh! Reading!"), Edward decided to get a bit more serious.

"I rebelled against my family and got in with the wrong crowd. I was almost kicked out of school." Edward said quietly.

Edward rested his elbows on his knees and looked at Bella expectantly.

She nodded as she acknowledged that it was her turn to share, "Well I never finished high school. Simon, the foster 'father' and I use that turn lightly, pulled me out after I completed Grade Nine. I loved school, and I got really good grades, but I had to look after the little kids that they had taken in. I protested a little too loudly, so he made everyone stand in the back yard and I had to burn all of my books." Bella's eyes burned with fury, "He told the school district that I was being 'home schooled.' That was a fucking joke! But I loved taking care of the little ones. I would make sure that they ate properly and that their clothes were clean and they did their homework."

Her eyes grew hard and cold, "I made sure that they were safe and that no one tried to hurt them."

Bella looked at the far row of trees, "They probably hate me for leaving them." She murmured just loud enough for Edward to hear her.

His heart was pounding at what she had described to him. It was like something out of a bad movie.

Instinctively he leaned forward, "Bella, if you trust me, trust us, we can help you. We could help them – Emmett and Jasper know people…"

He should have known that it was the wrong thing to say.

Bella swung around and Edward was taken aback by the fury on her face, her eyes were almost aflame with their intensity.

"Please, _Doctor Cullen_! This isn't some fucking fairytale, where you just ride in on your great white stallion and save the poor little girl from the evil ogre! I don't need your sympathy or charity! Not all of our lives are as fucking picture perfect like yours is! Don't think that just because you smoked a toke or two and got into trouble with your 'daddy' that you and I are anything alike! We are nothing alike! I am not some 'project' that will make you and your family feel better about yourselves!"

Bella let out a string of curses as she began to stomp back to the pathway.

"Bella!"

It was her turn to stop and wait for him to catch up to her.

"If you keep going that way, you'll fall into the creek. The house is behind you." Edward's voice was mild.

Bella turned around and she began to stomp off in the opposite direction. Once again Edward's voice stopped her.

"For someone who is supposed to be so 'street-wise' you are pretty clueless." His tone was slightly mocking.

Bella swung around and was shocked when he was right behind her. "Are you calling me stupid?" Bella growled.

Edward shook his head at her and had the audacity to let out a bark of angry laughter as he stepped around her and began to stride down the pathway.

"I WAS TALKING TO YOU!" Bella shouted as she ran behind him.

Edward turned suddenly and Bella took a step back from him. His eyes were burning a dark green. He was furious and she noticed that his hands were clinched into fists at his sides.

"If you could get you head out of your ass for a minute, you would see that _you are the one with all the hang-ups – not us! _ You are a self-opinionated, stuck-up, foul-mouthed _brat_ and if you stop to think about it – you are your own worst enemy! I just wanted to be your fucking friend, but you know what – forget it! You are so fucking self-sufficient right? You don't need anyone – you don't need friends, right?"

Bella was routed to the ground as she watched Edward begin to stalk away from her, raking his hands through his hair so that it stuck up in a hundred different directions.

He disappeared around a bend in the path and Bella began to follow him slowly.

Bella thought about everything that Edward had said. She hated to admit it, but he was right. The Cullen's, well certainly those that she had met had not once tried to 'buy' her. They had not tried to push their wealth or riches onto her. They had been nothing but kind to her. Even Billy and Jacob had been kind to her. When she had spoken to Jacob, he had informed her that he could fix her car, but that it would take a few months. At first he had tried to tell her that it wasn't worth fixing, but Bella had insisted that she was willing to pay anything, but it had to be _that_ car.

Bella had told him that she had a job and that she would be able to pay him for the work as he did it and he had agreed to see her during the following week to settle on a payment plan. He had not offered her charity or made any suggestion about her paying him back another way.

Bella sighed. _She was such an ass!_ Edward had wanted to be her friend. He wasn't acting superior to her even though he could – he was a _fucking doctor _– but she had pushed him away.

Bella had never had a real friend before. Sure, when she hooked up with Tyler, they had been sort of friends, but they had never spoken about themselves, or their past lives or their hopes and dreams. Tyler didn't even know what her favorite color was or what she wanted to do with her life.

As Bella turned the bend she saw that Edward was leaning up against a tree trunk, chewing on a piece of grass, his eyes were on the ground and his arms folded over his lithe chest.

Bella walked up to where he stood, and she swallowed hard, "I'm sorry, Edward. I am really fucked up, I mean, I am really bad at this. I don't trust people. I've never had a reason to trust anyone. In my world if you trust people, you get fucked over. Sorry about the language, I mean that people-" Bella knew that she was talking at a hundred miles an hour, the words were just tumbling out of her mouth before Edward straightened up and look at her for the first time and Bella fell silent.

He scrutinized her before he let a little smile tease around the corners of his mouth, "Breathe Bella."

Bella's mouth snapped shut and she took a deep breath and let it out noisily as she stared at his very fine chest.

"Edward, we shouldn't be friends. I'm no good for you." Bella whispered.

He shook his head, "I don't believe that, your tough exterior is just a mask."

Bella closed her eyes for a moment, before she opened them and stared into his emerald eyes, "I'm afraid…"

Edward nodded, "I know. I am afraid too."

Bella wiped her hands on her thighs and with a deep breath that she released slowly she held out her hand that was trembling slightly, "I would like to try and be your friend."

Edward smiled at her as he held her small hand in his. Bella was staring at their joined hands and he waited for her to look up at him.

"Hey" his voice was strangely husky.

Bella's eyes travelled up his chest, neck, chin, mouth, nose and eventually his hypnotizing bright green eyes.

"Hey" she whispered before she licked her lips and Edward groaned internally.

"Truce?" he said teasingly.

Bella couldn't resist the smile that seemed to form on her mouth and she didn't even try.

"Truce."

Edward nodded, "Good. Come on, the folks will be coming home soon."

They fell into step and began to walk in silence.

"So what happened when you almost dropped out of school?" Bella asked.

"I fell in with the wrong crowd, blew my family off and spent a rough few months taking drugs, blowing money, watching friends go down a road that I was headed down. Something happened," Edward stopped walking and Bella could see that he was conflicted but he gave a quick shake of his head and his handsome face cleared as he stuck his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts, "Anyway, I came home. It was the only place that I could run to. It was bad, but my parents stood by me. My dad intervened at college and I went to rehab, and had a couple of years of therapy. There was a police investigation. I know how blessed I am Bella. My family went through six months of hell with me. Jasper was studying to get his degree in counseling and he helped as well. I was an arrogant little asshole. I know that I don't deserve them, but they have stood by me every day for the past eight years."

Bella could see how what he was telling had affected him when she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes.

"That's why you are so protective of them. That's why you were arguing with your mother the other night."

Their eyes met and Edward nodded, "Yeah. It's not that I had anything against you personally, but my mother is the most loving, trusting person you will ever meet and I have seen first-hand what it's like to hurt her."

Bella nodded, "I understand. I will try not to ever hurt her."

Edward opened the gate and they walked over to the Adirondack chairs on the deck. Edward took the empty water bottles inside, while Bella used the bathroom quickly. He came out with two glasses of juice in lots of ice.

Bella had pulled her phone out of her pocket and she was staring at it like it was a spider or something.

Edward chuckled, "What's the matter?"

Bella rolled her eyes and she pushed her hair out of her eyes, "I don't know what to do with it."

Edward pulled his chair closer to hers, "It's not so bad, give it here, let me show you the basics."

For the next few minutes their heads were bent together as Edward showed Bella how to text, find her menu, make calls.

Bella's eyes widened when she saw that she had three phone numbers for Edward and she looked at him with a grin, "A little excessive aren't' we?"

Edward had the grace to look embarrassed, "Well, it's just that in case you need to get hold of someone or if you want to talk or whatever, then you can get hold of me. That's the office number, and that is my home phone and this is my cell." His hand went to rub the back of his neck nervously.

Unbeknown to them, the family had arrived home from church. Alice and Rosalie went to see where Edward was and they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the two heads so close together.

"Well, well, this is interesting…" Alice said softly.

Rosalie sniggered, "How the mighty have fallen. It seems that our young Doctor Cullen likes our new guest."

Esme chose that moment to walk past the room and she saw Edward and Bella as well as Rosalie and Alice sniggering together.

She cleared her throat and her two daughters-in-law jumped apart guiltily, "Come on you two, leave Edward alone and let's get lunch started."

She turned away as she tied her favorite apron around her and hid the satisfied smile.

The children soon ran outside and Bella and Edward stood up, before Bella could walk inside, Edward put his hand on her arm, "If you ever need me or you just want to talk or maybe you want to get out of the house, you know how to get hold of me. Whatever you tell me won't go further than me. You can trust me." He said quietly.

Bella put her hand out hesitantly and she put it over his, "Thank you. You are my first, um, real friend." She said as her cheeks grew bright pink.

She felt a tingle where their skin met and by the way Edward's hand had jerked and his eyes had widened slightly, he had felt it as well.

As she turned around, Bella stumbled when she saw Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle standing at the open French doors.

She mumbled her excuses and fled to the downstairs bathroom.

After she used the toilet, she splashed cold water on her face and neck. It didn't help that all of the men in the Cullen family were absolutely gorgeous, she thought to herself.

"Now I've made a fool of myself again! Great Bella – way to go!" she muttered to herself. She let out a yelp of surprise when there was a knock at the door.

"Bella?" Bree's voice came through door.

"Coming!"

Bella dried her hands and opened the door, only to be hugged by the young girl.

"It's going to be so great to have someone closer to my age in this house! I am stuck between the kids table and the old people's table – at least you have heard of MTV and E!"

Bella was about to tell her that she had no idea what she was talking about when Esme called to Bree, "Not so much of the 'old people' talk, Missy!" Esme wiped her hands on her apron and smiled at Bella, "Hello Bella, did you have a good morning?"

Bella nodded as she greeted Alice, Rosalie, and Esme, "Yes, thanks. Can I help you?"

Esme nodded, "Always! Bree, wash your hands honey, and you and Bella can peel those potatoes."

Bella spent the next several minutes listening to the women chatting about the church service and the people at church.

Alice looked over at Bella, "How are you settling in Bella?"

"Fine thanks. I'm looking forward to starting work."

Alice laughed, "Well, believe me, we need you! Esme and I have been tossing things into our store-rooms for months now! I wanted to put some of my new baby designs into my store, but there was no space!"

"I won't let you down." Bella said as she took the bowl of peeled potatoes to the sink to wash them off, before Esme showed her how she wanted them cut into quarters.

"What did Jake say about your car, Bella?" Rosalie asked.

Bella shook her head, "Not much that I could understand," she said as everyone laughed.

"Except Rose here," Alice said with a smirk. Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Well, as much as I hate to say that my sister is right, this time she is right. I love cars. That's what eventually brought Emmett and I together. His car broke down and I stopped and fixed it. We have been together ever since."

Bree made gagging noises next to Bella and Rosalie looked at her with a mock stern gaze, "That is enough from you Short Stop."

"Well, it's true, crawling around under cars is sort of a hobby of mine. I sometimes go over and help Jake in his shop. I could have a word with him if you like and hear exactly what needs to be done. Hell, I might even help out – it's been too long since I've played with grease and oil"

Bella stared at the beautiful woman with wide eyes, it was hard to imagine Rosalie Cullen crawling around anywhere but in spite of her immaculate appearance, Bella had noticed that she had no qualms in getting onto the floor with her children, or accepting a soggy kiss or a grubby-handed hug from any of them.

"Wow, thanks that would be great. I need to go and see him sometime this week to get a complete and detailed quote from him and then he said that we can work out some sort of payment plan." Bella said.

Rosalie suggested that they go together and Bella quickly agreed, after she made sure that it would be alright with her two bosses.

"Goodness, Bella, we aren't ogres! Your hours are pretty flexible, as long as you log the hours, you can really work at any time, you could even break up your time if you like." Alice smiled at her as she explained.

Alice looked at Esme, "Mom, did you mention Thursday to Bella?"

Esme shook her head as Bella looked between the two.

"Thursday?" Bella prompted.

Alice nodded, "Yes, well, Rosalie and I were wondering if you could babysit the kids on Thursday evening for a few hours. We would pay you obviously, but you are so good with them and it's our wedding anniversaries."

"You were married on the same day?" Bella asked with a cocked eyebrow.

The women began to laugh and it was Esme that answered her, "Actually we all married on the same date. You see it's a bit of a Cullen tradition and the girls decided to carry on the tradition; so once a year we all celebrate either together or on our own. This year, Carlisle is taking me to the city for a long weekend and the girls are going to dinner."

"Are you sure that you want me to look after your children? You don't even know me." Bella began to protest halfheartedly, but Rosalie quickly interrupted her.

"Of course we trust you Bella. We have seen you around the children and mom says that you were wonderful with them yesterday. If it makes you feel better Bree will be there to help you. You can watch them at my home, it's about ten minutes away and Alice's kids are just as at home there as they are at home. They even have their own beds at my house. So, what do you say?"

Bree spoke up first, "Why do I have to be there? Bella will be fine and I was going to go to Shelby one last time, remember we start school on Monday!" She shook her head and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You can go to Shelby afterwards, Bree. I don't see it being a problem and you can help Bella get to know her way around. Stop being so selfish!" Rosalie shot back.

It was obvious that Rosalie and Alice had been a part of the family for a long time and they were comfortable in confronting each other. This did not seem like a family that backed down.

"Whatever!" Bree shot back before she sighed dramatically and began to put the potato peels onto a tray.

"Brat!" Rosalie retorted with a wink to Bella.

Bree grinned at her unrepentantly before she turned to look at Bella, "Oh my word Bella, you don't know how lucky you are to be on your own, I sometimes think that I have four fathers and three mothers the way my family carries on!"

Bella felt rather than saw Esme's startled and horrified expression as she looked at her daughter and then Bella.

"Brianna! That is enough!" Esme said in a no-nonsense voice. Bella noticed that Rosalie and Alice shot Bree dirty looks and Rosalie shook her head in disapproval.

"What Mom?" Bree looked at her mother and then at Bella, "Isn't it true Bella? Aren't you alone?"

"Brianna!" Everyone turned to see Edward and Emmett standing in the doorway. Emmett looked puzzled while Edward looked angry. He glared at Brianna before he carried on talking, "Dad wants you to go and take the kids for a walk to the meadow so that they can release some energy before we eat."

Bree frowned, "But…"

"Now Bree." Edward almost growled and Bella turned to look at him fully as she tried to convey her thanks that he was willing to come to her defense but she also didn't want to cause any trouble between the siblings. She liked Brianna and she actually cared what this family thought of her.

"Bree is right you know?" Bella looked at Bree with a sad smile. "I am alone. I lived in an orphanage for ten years before I was sent to foster care and let me tell you," she gave a light laugh that belied the haunted look in her eyes, "Even though I was never 'alone', I shared a bedroom, bathroom and clothes with eighteen other kids, I was always alone, so I think that it must be nice to have so many people looking out for you."

Bella reached out and touched Bree's shoulder. The teenager's eyes flooded with tears and before anyone could do anything else, she threw her slim arms around Bella's neck.

"I'm so sorry Bella! I didn't mean to be so cruel and horrible to you! I just didn't think!"

Bella's startled gaze met Edward's and after a moment's hesitation, she gingerly put her arms around the girl and patted her back awkwardly, "Ssshh, it's okay, Bree. I'm not mad at you. Please don't cry, because then I will have to wash this top again and I only have a couple of them and one bar of soap."

Brianna began to laugh as she sniffed loudly and wiped her cheeks with her hands. Bella smoothed the fiery curls off the girl's shoulders, "You look cute with puffy eyes, suits you!"

Bree laughed loudly, "Thanks – _friend_!"

Edward put his hand over Bella's that was resting on Bree's shoulders, and when Bella saw pride shining in his eyes, she thought that he was looking at his sister but he was looked directly at her.

"You okay?" he asked quietly and Bree answered in the affirmative but he was still staring at Bella.

She nodded and gave him a little smile.

"Well, I'm still hungry, so Mom, can we have the meat please. Ed, don't forget to get the beers." Emmett said loudly as he walked into the kitchen.

He grinned at Bella and gave her a friendly wink.

"How you doing Bella? he asked with a flash of the cutest dimples that Bella had ever seen.

"I'm fine thanks."

Bella, Bree and Edward moved apart and Bree excused herself to go and fetch the children.

"Don't let Brady and Jed catch anymore tadpoles, Bree! I had frogs all over my garden last month!" Alice said as she shivered dramatically breaking the tension in the room as everyone laughed.

"So Bella, how do you like Vermont so far?" Emmett asked casually as he began to check the ribs and cutlets that were marinating in a large roasting dish.

"Well, from what I've seen, it's really pretty and green. It's very different from where I'm from." Bella quickly looked at Edward but his face gave away nothing.

Emmett looked at her and Bella could see wisdom in his bright blue eyes. But there was something else there as well; understanding and kindness! She wasn't sure, but she had seen that same look in almost every member of the family.

Emmett nodded and he smiled at her, "Wait until the fall really starts! The turning of the leaves brings a whole ton of visitors to the area and it's really colorful."

Bella found herself responding to his cheerful smile. His dimples made him look like a large cuddly bear. And she shook her head at how ridiculously good looking this family was.

The men left the room and the women carried on with their preparations for lunch.

The front door bell rang just as they were about to carry all of the side dishes out to the deck.

Bella turned with a grin when she recognized the voice of Billy Black.

Edward had walked inside to help bring the food to the table and he took a sharp intake of breath as he watched Bella's face transform instantly.

Gone was the worry and caution from her face. Her eyes cleared and they sparkled with excitement as Billy walked into the room, "Billy!"

Billy was grinning at her and he hurried across the room before he pulled Bella into his arms and kissed her cheek. Esme was shocked as the street wise, smart ass girl that she had encountered for the last two days turned into a giggling teenager right before her eyes.

"Look at you! All settled in?" Billy said.

Bella blushed furiously as she realized that everyone was staring at them and nodded quickly before she pulled away from Billy and took a step away from him.

"Bella, this is my wife Sue. Suzy, this is my friend Bella."

Bella smiled unsurely at the woman.

Sue had pitch black, straight hair, which was speckled with grey that hung down to the middle of her back. Her coppery skin was smooth and her large dark eyes sparkled as she smiled at Bella and held out her hand, "Bella, I am so glad to finally meet you! Vinnie and Felix went on and on about what a lovely young woman you are. Of course Billy and Jacob are your new champions as well."

"It's very nice to meet you Mrs. Black." Bella said quietly.

Sue smiled, "Please call me Sue. Mrs. Black makes me feel old."

Carlisle chose that moment to walk inside, "Are we ready to eat? The little people are getting restless. Oh Hi Sue, Billy, come one out back."

Lunch was a noisy affair and Bella was grateful that Edward had saved her a seat next to him at the long table on the covered deck.

Bella ate and mostly listened to the conversation flowing around her. Some of the names she recognized while some of them were new to her.

She was aware of Edward sitting next to her, his thigh was close to hers, and Bella felt calmer just having him so close.

That was until Jasper took a sip of his beer and cleared his throat, "So Bella, did you say that you were from Vegas?"

Bella heard her fork clutter against her plate and she stared down at her uneaten food for a moment.

"Jas-" Edward began, but Bella put her hand on his thigh, "No, Edward, it's okay. Let me answer this once and for all."

She took a deep breath and looked around the table. The children were sitting at their own table and they were oblivious to the sudden tension surrounding the adults.

Suddenly she felt a hand cover hers where it lay on Edward's leg. Edward squeezed her hand protectively, "You don't need to do this now." He murmured in her ear.

Bella looked at him for a long moment and she smiled at him, "I think that it's time for me to exercise some of that 'trust' that you and I have been talking about. What have I got to lose, right?"

Edward stared at her for a moment before he gave her a quick nod, "I'm right here, okay?"

Bella answered by tapping his leg.

She looked up and met Jasper's cool steady gaze.

Of all of the Cullen's she had connected with Jasper the least. He was the most reserved and he had not gone out of his way to have any contact with her.

His eyes seemed to access her every move and when Brady had seen her on the deck earlier and he had run up to give her a sloppy kiss on the cheek before he turned to Edward with a frown and asked him 'why is you sitting here with my Belle?' and then he had turned to where his father and grandfather were standing and he had asked, 'did you see my Belle is here?', Carlisle had chuckled, while Jasper had nodded and then had instructed his son to change from his long pants into the shorts that Alice had packed.

"I am originally from Phoenix, I think. At least that's where I was, when I became a ward of the state of Arizona; and that's where my birth certificate is from. I was there for ten years before I went into foster care. Is that all you wanted to know _Sherriff_?" Bella said, with a calmness that she was far from feeling at the moment.

She raised her chin a fraction and Edward could not help his dick from twitching. _Dear Lord, she was hot when she was pissed!_

He glared at his brother, but Jasper ignored him as he leaned forward, his gaze never leaving Bella's, "Not really. What is your real name, because it sure isn't '_Van_'?" he said calmly as he rested his chin on his hand.

Bella could feel the tension radiate around her. Carlisle was alternatively glaring at his son, while he put a restraining hand on Esme's arm, while Esme and Sue looked angry at Jasper, Billy looked at Bella with quiet sympathy. He had known all along that her story was bogus, but he had never pressed her for the truth.

Bella licked her lips and Edward felt her fingers dig into his skin. Edward tried not to grimace as her felt her nails digging through his shorts.

He looked over to his father for help but Carlisle was whispering something in Esme's ear and Edward could see that she was upset with the turn that the conversation had taken.

When he looked at Emmett, he could see that his oldest brother was looking at Bella with curiosity but Edward could see how tense his shoulders were and Edward knew that he was as pissed at Jasper as he was. This was not the time or place for this interrogation.

After a quick, apologetic glance around the table, Bella took a deep breath, "My name is Isabella Marie Swan. My date of birth is thirteenth June, and I turned eighteen this last June, so I am no longer in the system."

Her heart was pounding and her mouth was dry but she was not going to back down. This fucker didn't scare her, but he sure pissed her off!

Jasper just nodded calmly and Bella wanted to slap him. She reached out and took a sip, before she put the glass carefully on the table.

"Who does the car belong to?" Even though his tone was soft, Bella could see that his eyes were hard and determined.

Bella took a deep drink of her juice before she looked up at him, and this time there was no mistaking the fury in her eyes, "That car belongs to me! The papers are in the glove compartment to prove it. My," she licked her lips and prayed that she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of these people, "the car was left to me by my f-father, Charles Swan. I will give you my case-worker's name and number if you like. I have her card. I don't' steal, Sherriff Cullen!"

"No, you just tell some tall tales." He responded quietly and Bella hated the fact that he was still so calm when she felt as if she was going to explode.

She stood up so quickly that Edward just caught her chair from falling back just in time. Bella leaned across the table as she glared at Jasper, "Would you tell total strangers who you were or where you were from for no reason? I don't trust strangers. I have never had any reason to."

Suddenly Bella realized that there was dead silence and she looked up to see the children staring at her with wide eyes, "Belle, is my daddy making you sad?" Brady said softly and Bella straightened herself up to her full height. She could feel her cheeks and chest were red and hot with her humiliation.

Bella deflated and she shook her head, "No Brady, your daddy is just looking out for you and your family. That's what daddies are supposed to do, Pumpkin. I need to go, but I will see you during the week, okay." Brady nodded hesitantly, his blue eyes darted between his father and Bella.

She turned to look at Alice and Rosalie, "If you still want me to babysit this week, you can let me know?"

Alice was pale and Bella could see that everyone with the exception of Jasper was upset and uncomfortable.

She looked at Esme and Carlisle and gave them a bright false smile, "Thank you for lunch, but I need to be going. I'm sorry that I got angry and ruined your day. I'll see you tomorrow Mizz Esme." Even to her own ears her voice sounded strained and false.

Lastly she looked at Billy and Sue, "I'm sorry that I lied to you Billy. It was really nice to meet you Sue." Bella said softly.

Bella walked inside the house without looking at Edward. She knew that if she did, she was going to burst into tears and that was the last thing that she wanted to do.

She stood in the hall for a moment before she made her way to the front door.

As she opened it, she heard someone say her name and she turned around thinking it was Edward.

Jasper stood in front of her, "Come to check my pockets Officer? Well, all I have is the key to my room and this phone which Edward gave me last night…"

"That's not why I'm here. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that. I just wanted some answers. I ran a check on you and nothing came up." He said quietly.

Bella nodded, "Well now you can check away."

With that she walked out the door and closed it quietly.

=====HS=====

Bella was too keyed up to go back to her room and she just needed to get away from the farm.

She walked down the drive and onto the road that ran past the farm. It was quiet and Bella realized that most Sundays around the town of Hope Springs was probably quiet.

Bella walked down the road, which eventually led her to the main street. Just as she had thought, all the shops, and offices were closed, besides the convenience store and the diner.

Although she was reluctant to ever set foot in the diner again, she needed to use the bathroom desperately and she was still a little hungry, so she took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The diner was just as shocking to behold the second time but it was fairly empty except for a table of young people in one corner.

Bella walked over to a table in one corner and sat down.

A moment later, the woman that she remembered seeing behind the counter the night that she was in with Billy and Esme walked over to her with a smile, "Hello Bella, I'm Jessica, would you like to see a menu?"

There was nothing on the woman's face to suggest that she was angry for the scene that Bella had caused before.

"Nice to meet you. Could I use your bathroom before I decide?"

Jessica nodded, "Sure thing, Hon. Take your time; it's very quiet here on a Sunday afternoon."

Bella quickly went to the bathroom and when she came back to her seat, she looked at the menu. The prices were quite cheap and she ordered a cherry cola and a 'Garden Burger'.

Bella finished her meal and she apologized to Jessica for the last incident when she paid at the till, but Jessica just waved it off with a laugh and said that it had brightened up her day.

Afterwards Bella walked through the small town. She could see that the leaves had begun to change color. The town was quite picturesque and Bella enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, as she looked into shops windows, sat on a bench in the small greenbelt in the centre of the town that also held a gazebo, this one was a light blue with white trim, before she eventually walked back to Blue Bonnet Farm.

She realized that she wasn't angry at Jasper for grilling her. Sure, he could have gone about it in a different location, but he was only looking out for his family and for the town that he had sworn to protect.

Thinking about that made her wonder what kind of policeman her father had been. _Had he loved his job? Was he killed in the line of duty? Why didn't anyone claim her when he died?_

When she got back to the shed, and unlocked her bedroom door, she realized that she was tired. She was shocked to discover that it was after 6 p.m, which meant that she had been wondering around for over four hours!

Bella diligently washed out her clothes and hung them over the towel rails and the bathroom door before she showered and pulled on a T-shirt.

She made herself a cup of tea and lay in bed reading until her eyes began to close, with a huff she got up and brushed her teeth, switched her light off before she crawled back into bed.

As she let sleep pull her under, she wondered when she would see her green-eyed protector again.

=====HS=====

After Bella had left the table, Jasper cleared his throat and followed her.

Everyone else sat in stunned silence. Esme, Alice, Rosalie and Bree looked on the verge of tears. Sue and Billy whispered to each other, while Emmett looked at Edward for the first time with his eyebrows raised, but before he could say anything, Jasper returned to the table, stopping along the way to speak quietly to the children.

He sat down quietly and looked at his parents steadily, "I know that you are upset with me," he began but Carlisle shook his head, "Not now, Jasper. I suggest that we finish lunch and not embarrass our friends any further." He said coldly.

The meal continued in silence for a few minutes before Esme sighed and looked at Sue with a sad smile, "Would you like to have some tea with me in the sun room, Sue?"

"That sounds wonderful," she said as she started to gather her plate, but Esme shook her head, "Leave it, Sue. We will get to it later. Rose, Allie, would you like to join us?"

Alice shook her head, "No thanks Mom, I will be leaving shortly, the children seem quite tired. I will see you tomorrow." The high spots of color in her cheeks belied her quiet answer.

Rosalie also declined and Esme led Sue into the house.

Bree, Alice and Rosalie began to gather dishes and plates.

Once the women had left, Carlisle excused the children and they walked into their playroom where Alice put the television on for them.

Once they were alone, Carlisle turned to Jasper, "Where the hell do you get off interrogating our guest at our table as if she was a common criminal?" he hissed.

"Dad, be reasonable, we all needed answers." Jasper said in his calm tone.

Edward growled at him, "Not that way Jasper! If you have driven her away, I swear –"

"You will what, Edward? Since when did you become Bella Swan's champion? I seem to recall that it was _you_ that drove her away the last time!" Jasper glared at his brother.

"And I had the balls to apologize to her! Bella is a sweet girl – she isn't trying to harm anyone! She just wants to make a life for herself. _Fuck it! _ I thought that you of everyone would understand! She has had a shitty life up till now, so don't fuck it up for her!" Edward was leaning so far over the table that his and Jasper's faces were almost touching.

"What Edward? Has you dick finally defrosted for _little Bella_?" Jasper sneered, finally showing how angry he was.

"Whoa there, you two! Calm down." Emmett said firmly pushing himself between his brothers who were now standing up glaring at each other and Emmett could see that Edward's short fuse was about to explode.

There was a loud bang from the end of the table and they all turned to see Carlisle standing up with his fist turning red.

"_That will be enough! _ All of you shut up and sit down! NOW!" Carlisle barked.

Emmett, Jasper, and Edward sat down immediately. They could count on one hand the amount of times that Carlisle had raised his voice to them and they knew enough not to defy him when he did.

Carlisle locked eyes with his three oldest children, making sure that they knew he was deadly serious.

After a few moments of terse silence, he spoke again, "I think that it is best if you three go home now, but not before I have my say. None of us are in any mind to discuss what happened here today without it escalating into something that will become very unpleasant."

Edward wanted desperately to protest but he knew that Carlisle had made up his mind and he had called a 'time-out' for all of them which was probably the smartest thing to do under the circumstances.

"Emmett, do you have enough information from Bella to run a background check on her?"

Emmett nodded, "I think so. Her name is not exactly common and I have her date of birth so the rest should be easy. I will call some people this afternoon."

Carlisle nodded.

He turned to look at Edward, "I know that you and Bella have become closer to each other, but I am urging you to tread carefully Edward. She is in no place to have any sort of 'romantic entanglement' right now. Do not let anything get out of hand, understood?"

Edward knew that his father was only voicing his opinion and he realized that Carlisle's advice was for the best, but he still didn't like it. "Yes, Sir."

They stared at each other for a moment longer before Carlisle let out a sigh and turned to face Jasper.

"Your behavior is inexcusable Jasper. You were never brought up to disrespect people the way that you disrespected your mother and I, your family and our friends today. I can only think that you didn't think this through, which is not like you Son. Bella is a bit of an enigma, I agree, but she is also trying to adjust. From what Billy and I can surmise, she has either lived on the streets or in her car for some time now, you have volunteered at the Mission shelter and the schools long enough to know what that does to a person. You humiliated her and that was just unacceptable."

Carlisle sighed and looked at his sons, "I suggest that when Emmett has some more answers, we get together, but until then let me make this clear to everyone, _Bella Swan is off limits_. If any of you come into contact with her, you will be polite and cordial or else, you can just stay away. Do I make myself clear?"

The three men answered in the affirmative before they left the table with a quiet goodbye to Billy, one by one until only Billy and Carlisle were left.

Rosalie, Alice and the children came to say good bye until Carlisle and Billy were left sipping cold beers under the awning of the patio.

Billy chuckled and turned to Carlisle, "I always wondered where Jasper got his toughness from to be such a commanding Sherriff when he needs to be but after this afternoon, I know who he takes after."

Carlisle chuckled and shook his head, "You mean Esme?"

Billy cocked an eyebrow at his friend, "Esme's temper is legendary, but when you took on your three boys today, I saw a side of you that even I found intimidating."

The men sobered up slightly with Carlisle said quietly, "She has the oldest eyes I have ever seen."

Billy nodded, "Miracles happen here, Doc; we've both seen it, so let's not give up yet."

=====HS=====

The next morning, Bella ate breakfast at the staff diner before sat outside the Cullen's house to wait for Esme.

She had brought the book that she was currently engrossed in as she sat on the front steps and she didn't hear the front door open, nor did she see Carlisle until he sat down next to her, making sure to keep as much distance between them as possible.

"Morning Bella" he said.

Bella gasped and she looked up with a guilty look on her face, "Doctor Cullen! Sorry, I'm just waiting for Mizz Esme"

Carlisle smiled at her, "No need to explain Bella, Esme will be out shortly. You may go and help yourself to some tea and breakfast if you like and the name is Carlisle."

"No thanks, I have had breakfast already, Carlisle."

"That's a great book. 'To Kill a Mocking Bird' is one of my all time favorite books."

Bella's cheeks turned pink as she looked from him to the book, "I hope that you don't mind, but Rachel said I could borrow it, I'll return it as soon as I am finished." She said in a rush.

Carlisle put out his hand carefully and touched Bella's arm, "I am so glad that you like to read, Bella! We have always believed in continued education through reading and furthering your studies. Please feel free to borrow any books that you want to read. If you run out of material, I have books in my office and there are more in Esme's home office."

He watched as Bella's eyes sparkled at his words. She was almost humming with excitement.

"Really?" she almost squealed.

Carlisle chuckled, "Really. I will tell Brianna and Esme in case I'm not here, okay?"

"Thank you so much."

"It is only my pleasure, Bella."

Carlisle stood to his feet and brushed off his trousers as he stepped off the porch. He turned around and looked at Bella again, "Jasper has his own apology to make to you, Isabella, but I would just like to say that it was never our intention to humiliate or embarrass you. You were here as our guest and Jasper stepped out of line and for that, I am sorry."

Bella stood up and she noticed that at this level, she was almost eye to eye with the Patriarch of the Cullen family. She could see that his gaze was deeply troubled and she was sure that Jasper had caught some flak for his part in yesterday's debacle.

"Thank you for apologizing, but it really isn't necessary. Jasper was only doing what he is trained to do. He was trying to get to answers and for whatever reason; he felt that he needed witnesses. I think that if I had a family like yours, I would do everything in my power to protect them. If he has any more questions, he just needs to ask me. I have nothing to hide." Bella flinched as she uttered the last part. She _was_ lying to Carlisle; she had a baby to hide.

Carlisle noticed her guilty expression, but he was careful not to let Bella see that he had seen through her obvious lie. It would seem that Miss Isabella Swan was still keeping a secret.

He smiled at her and wished her a pleasant first day at work as he made his way to his car.

He knew that secrets didn't stay secrets in a small town like Hope Springs. Not for long anyway.

**A/N: Hmmm – Bella obviously needs to work on her poker face! Some of you are wondering how far along Bella is at this point. Bella is 10 weeks pregnant, so she is still in her first trimester.**

**What did you think of Jasper? Was he wrong? How far back will this set Edward and Bella's friendship?**

**Let me know! **

**Thanks to all of you for your awesome response to my story and a very special thanks to my friend and beta Fiorella – happy Australia Day, Honey!**

**Love and hugs till next week,**

**Michele**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 7…**_

"_**Thank you for apologizing, but it really isn't necessary. Jasper was only doing what he is trained to do. He was trying to get to answers and for whatever reason; he felt that he needed witnesses. I think that if I had a family like yours, I would do everything in my power to protect them. If he has anymore questions, he just needs to ask me. I have nothing to hide." Bella flinched as she uttered the last part. She was lying to Carlisle; she had a baby to hide.**_

_**Carlisle noticed her guilty expression, but he was careful not to let Bella see that he had seen through her obvious lie. It would seem that Miss Isabella Swan was still keeping a secret.**_

_**He smiled at her and wished her a pleasant first day at work as he made his way to his car.**_

_**He knew that secrets didn't stay secrets in a small town like Hope Springs. Not for long anyway.**_

**CHAPTER 8 – MOVING SWIFTLY ALONG**

Carlisle waved as he drove past her and down the driveway in his sleek black Mercedes. Bella leaned back on her hands and tilted her head back.

She took a deep breath. Even from where she sat, she could smell sweet smell of the fruit and vegetables that were ripening in the fields. The perfume was almost heady and Bella hummed softly to herself.

She heard the front door open and stood up. "Morning Mizz Esme."

Esme looked chic and cool in a pair of tan trousers with a cream blouse and matching tan sandals and a tan purse. Her hair was rolled into a chignon and her only adornments were a pair of gold stud earrings, a gold watch, her wedding rings and a gold charm bracelet.

Bella looked down at her own clothes and she tugged on the bottom of her T-shirt. Her plastic thong flops suddenly looked cheap – which they were, she thought with a smile. She had paid just a dollar for them at a yard sale.

Esme's face lit up with an affectionate smile, "Good Morning Bella! Goodness, you could have come in for breakfast, you know."

Bella held up the book that she was still holding, "I was enjoying the morning sun and the book. Um, I told Carlisle that I would put all the books back that I borrowed."

Esme put an arm around Bella's waist as she guided her to her car. "You can read anything you want to Bella! That's why they are there. Carlisle and I have always loved reading and we have thankfully passed that onto most of our children." She winked at Bella as she dropped her hand and walked around to the driver's side of the double cab truck.

"Most of them?" Bella prompted.

Esme shook her head, "Yes, Bree, Jasper and Edward are all happy to curl up with a good book, but Emmett, well, let's say if he can wait for the movie to come out, he will! I think it's because a large part of his job is reading the law, looking up cases and studying, so when he gets home, he just wants to kick back and relax in front of the television, which is usually tuned to ESPN."

"ESPN?"

Esme nodded, "He is a sports fanatic – ice hockey, football, baseball, soccer, you name it and he follows it."

"Billy said something about him coaching?"

"All my boys coach something. Emmett coaches football, Edward and Jasper coaches our little league baseball team and in winter they coach peewee ice hockey."

"Do you all skate?" Bella asked.

Esme nodded, "Oh my yes! We skate on the pond on our property and of course there is lots of skating parties at Dorset Common."

Esme pulled into a parking bay in front of the stores and she turned to Bella, "I want you to ask as many questions as you want. Ignorance is only stupid if you don't want to learn, understood?"

Bella bit her lip and nodded, "Let's do it."

Esme laughed, "Come on, Honey."

Bella followed Esme into the store. She saw a woman standing behind the counter serving a customer who greeted Esme warmly.

"Oh Esme, I made blueberry pie yesterday and I must say, your blueberry crop is exceptional this year!" the woman trilled as she looked at Bella with open curiosity, "And who is your young friend? Hello, I'm Felicity Cope, I live next to young Edward, and I also run the Post Office, so if you ever need some stamps, you just come on down the road."

Bella's eyebrows shot up as she stared at the older, plump woman with dyed bright red hair. The woman looked at Bella expectantly and she realized that Mrs. Cope was expecting Bella to respond.

Bella wiped her hands on her thighs, "Um, I'm Bella." she said lamely.

Mrs. Cope turned to Esme, "Bella? And where is Bella from, Esme? Who are her _people_?"

Esme's eyes met Bella's before she turned to face the woman, "Bella is from out west, Felicity and _we_ are her people. Bella will be staying with us and she will be working here for the rest of the summer and perhaps even longer." Esme's voice was still soft, but there was a steely quality to it and Bella turned away to hide her smile.

Mrs. Cope stared from one to the other before she turned back to the young woman behind the counter, "Makenna, I think that I'm going to take the jars of strawberry preserve as well as some of Esme's delicious chutney."

She looked over to where Esme and the other woman, Makenna were talking quietly. Makenna looked as if she was in her twenties, with long dark blonde hair, cornflower blue eyes, and a dusting of freckles on her nose.

"Bella, this is Makenna Barnes. Makenna's husband, Alistair, owns the pub on the corner. Makenna works for me three days a week; Makenna, this is Bella Swan. Bella is going to be controlling our inventory and stock. We have been really busy lately and I know that our stock list is completely wrong."

Makenna smiled at Bella and held out her hand. Bella walked over and shook it gingerly, what was it about these people and _touching?_

Bella shook Makenna's hand, "It's lovely to meet you, Bella." the beauty said with a smile. "If you need anything, just ask," Makenna added.

Esme excused them and she walked with Bella to the double doors that led to Alice's shop, "Come and have a look at Alice's place."

Bella wasn't sure what she had expected, but it was nothing like the thrift shops and beggars' markets that she had been taking to for clothes shopping for most of her life.

The large space was decorated into separate spaces or 'rooms' in a French country style. There was a dressing room with large amours that held carefully folded lingerie and sleepwear. A large wooden wardrobe held dresses, trousers, jeans, skirts and shorts.

Next Bella saw a 'bedroom' with a four poster bed covered in various fabrics and linen.

Beyond that she spotted the 'sitting room' area.

"Wow, this is different," Bella said.

Esme smiled proudly, "Alice is very talented. She designs a lot of the clothing and lingerie herself. She only buys in good quality clothes and furniture. She restores most of the pieces herself or she works with a couple of retired craftsmen that live in the area."

Just then Alice spotted them and she called them over. Bella saw that Jessica was sitting with her on a plush cream loveseat.

"Hey Mom, Bella, how are you this morning?"

Bella smiled, "Fine, ready to work!"

Alice laughed, "That's great because this morning I was attacked by one of the clothes racks upstairs!"

Alice explain that the first floor was where she kept her stock of clothes and small knickknacks, while she explain, there was a disused barn behind the store that she used for the furniture restoration.

"Bella, would you like a fresh pastry? Jess has just brought a batch over from Sue's Bakes and they are delicious!"

Bella nodded and the four women chatted for the next several minutes and then Jessica's phone rang, "It's Mike, sorry, I've to run, see you later!"

"Bella and I need to do some paperwork and then we can get started." Esme said.

She turned to Bella, "Alice and I have worked out a sort of roster for you. Initially, you are going to need to do a stock take of my storeroom, which should only take a day to do everything. Alice's 'stuff'," Alice shrugged at Esme and grinned at Bella, "will take longer and it's mainly the clothing part that will need to be put into categories, put onto the correct racks, and put onto a stock list."

Alice smiled at Bella warmly, "There is no rush, Bella, so not everything has to be done in one day! Has Esme showed you the computer system that we use?"

Bella nodded, "I will just need to find my way around the system, but I always enjoyed computers at school and my teacher used to give me more advanced programs than the rest of my class, so once I know my way around the system, it should be fine."

Esme led Bella into her office and motioned to the only other chair in the room.

Esme handed Bella a few forms to complete before she went on to explain Bella's working hours, wages and benefits.

"One of the benefits about working for us is that you will receive a staff discount on any of our merchandise, so if there is something that you see, just let us know and you can pay at the end of the week."

Bella thought about the clothes that she had seen in Alice's shop with longing. She didn't think that Alice would sell clothes for one or two dollars.

"Now Bella, you will get two fifteen minute breaks each day and a lunch hour. We usually go over to Jess's or sometimes to the pub for a light lunch; Alistair has some tables outside that are very pleasant. You can also speak to Rachel and she will pack a lunch bag for you each day, are you going there for breakfast and dinner?"

Bella nodded, "Great then you can speak to her this evening and she will have it ready for you in the morning. Carlisle and Bree get their lunches from Rachel if they don't want to eat out."

After Bella had completed all the forms, she and Esme walked across the road and Bella opened her first bank account. Esme gave her address as Bella's own and within ten minutes Bella was holding a new bankcard that had her name on it.

"Your wages will be in your account every Friday at lunch time, Bella, so that you can do some shopping if you would like".

The rest of the morning flew by as Bella began to sort Esme's stockroom. By the time they broke for lunch, Bella was finished and she had begun to check the stock.

Alice, Esme, Bella and Makenna walked to Alistair's Pub, where Bella took an instant liking to the large, man with a shaggy beard that reminded her of grizzly Adams.

Alistair had a feint foreign accent, and kind brown eyes that twinkled with mischief as he bowed low over Bella's hand and planted a kiss on the back of it.

What would have normally freaked Bella out had her laughing as Makenna growled at her husband, "You can't resist a pretty girl, can you Barnes?" she said as she winked at Bella.

"You know me, kissed the Blarney stone at a young age, my love!" He chuckled as he pointed to a wooden table and mismatched chairs that were under the shade of a large tree.

"Take a seat and I will bring lunch out shortly. Bella, are you allergic to anything?" he asked.

Bella shrugged, "I don't think so." She said.

"Farmer's platters for everyone? And how about some organic ginger beer, courtesy of Bluebonnet?"

Bella found out that Makenna and Alistair had moved to Hope Springs two years earlier. Alistair was twelve years older than Makenna and they had met when Makenna was at college and Alistair had come to give a series of lectures on Irish authors.

It was love at first sight and Alistair had proposed and married the young twenty two year old Makenna just six months later. One weekend they had come to Hope Springs for the Apple Festival and when they had seen the quaint stone building that was up for sale, they had decided to make their dream of living in the country a reality.

Alistair was a renowned professor and he still ran online classes for a prestigious college and gave the occasional lecture, while Makenna had put her English degree to use by becoming a published author. She wrote books for children and young adults but she broke up her week by helping Esme in the store.

"I only work there for the staff discount, you know." Makenna teased.

Bella spent the rest of the afternoon and the next three days sorting thought the top floor of the shops. Bella learned that Alice didn't only buy high-end clothes and that most of what she kept were reasonably priced. She even had special section that was 'yard sale' priced. Alice explained that although most of her profits came from the vintage and haut couture racks, she had regular customers that couldn't afford pricey clothing. She donated a lot of clothes to the nearby shelter in the next town as well.

Bella had never seen so much clothing and when Alice saw her eyeing a red skirt on Bella's third day in the stock room, she insisted that they spend the rest of the afternoon playing dress up.

Rosalie stopped by at around three that afternoon and she grinned when she saw Bella pouting at Alice as yet another dress was flung at her.

"Alice, I have a job to do and you are wasting my time!" Bella grumbled.

Alice crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at Bella, "Bella Swan, you need to get some clothes that fit you and that are comfortable to wear, now just try this on! Go!"

Bella rolled her eyes at Rosalie but she went behind the old-fashioned screen and took off her jeans, wife beater and sneakers and she put on the floral dress with a stretch belt.

"Get out here Bella!" Alice shouted and Bella growled as she walked around the corner.

"Oh my word Bella, you look beautiful!" Alice exclaimed.

Bella stared at her, "Alice, when am I ever going to wear this dress?"

"Bella, you can wear that anytime! Maybe on a date or to dinner or here at work, just take a look!"

Bella turned around slowly and looked at herself in the large mirrors.

The dress came to her mid thigh and Bella had to admit that the pale greens and peach looked good against her skin. The dress was a soft material that clung to her slight curves and floated around her thighs with a sweetheart neckline.

Bella had put on a couple of pounds and her face and body was no longer angular and gaunt and while she was still painfully thin, there was a gentle curve to her breasts and hips now.

Bella hardly recognized herself in the dress and she had to admit that she felt 'almost' pretty.

"Sold!" Alice announced.

Bella quickly looked at the tag and her eyebrows shot up when she saw the price. She swung around and glared at Alice, "Fifteen dollars? Alice, this dress is not fifteen dollars!"

Alice began to tap her high heeled toes, "I didn't even know you when I priced that dress, Bella! So, it is fifteen dollars and with your thirty five percent employee's discount, it is nine dollars and seventy five cents."

Rosalie was lounging on a wingback chair in one corner as she watched the two women as if she was watching a tennis match.

"I have a pair of white ballet flats and a pair of sandals that will look perfect with that outfit – they are in the two dollar box in the far corner." Alice said offhandedly.

Bella stared at her boss and friend for a moment before she turned and went to look for the shoes.

Alice looked up to find Rosalie staring at her with her eyebrows raised, "Really Mary Alice?"

Alice glared at her sister, "Later!" she hissed. Alice had spent some time sorting through her clothing and she had squirreled away some outfits that she knew would look great on Bella, so she had strategically placed them around the stock room so as not to draw too much attention to them. She had priced them just right so that Bella couldn't justify not buying them.

Once Bella had found the ballet slippers that fit her perfectly, she changed back into her own clothes but not before she had found a pair of red and black Chuck Taylors and a pair of One Star Skimmer slip-ons in the two dollar box that looked almost brand new and Bella was shocked to see that they were her size. After a quick calculation, she carried her bounty downstairs.

"Bella, are you ready to go and see Jake before we go to fetch the kids and go to my place?"

Bella nodded. She handed Alice the dress, shoes as well as a pair of tailored shorts that she had found in a rich biscuit color, a cream tank top, another pair of jeans (that didn't have holes in them!), two T-shirts, two tank tops and a button down cardigan that matched her new dress.

Alice didn't say a word as she folded the clothes carefully and put them onto a shelf under the counter. She would be able to buy everything for under forty dollars.

Bella rolled her eyes, "You are turning me into a damn fashion diva Alice Cullen and I don't appreciate it!"

Alice grinned at her, "You will my little Baby Diva, you will!"

"I will see you later Bella." Bella smiled as Rosalie pulled her out of the shop.

It was the three couples' anniversary and Esme and Carlisle had left that morning for a long weekend in New York City.

They decided to walk over to Jakes auto garage. Rosalie had called Jacob that morning to arrange to meet him at his office.

When Bella walking into the neat front office, a young man was sitting behind a desk, "Hi there Rose, did you bring your overalls with you?"

Rosalie tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder and leveled the man with her blue eyes, "Just because I am a better mechanic than you are George, you don't have to get spiteful!"

The man named George shifted his gaze to where Bella stood; he quickly stood up and wipes his hands on a rag from his back pocket, "Hi! I'm George." He said as he began to blush.

Bella gave him a half smile, "I'm Bella," she said.

Just then Jacob came out of his office followed a tall woman with long curly hair and Bella knew immediately that this was Nessie.

She could see the similarity between Nessie and her parents. She had Vinnie's fine features and large brown eyes, while she had inherited her father's rich, chocolate brown hair.

"Aaagh, my favorite 'potty-mouth' and my favorite 'mechanic'!" he said with a smile that had both Rosalie and Bella grinning.

"Okay girls, you are supposed to say, 'our favorite-"

"Our favorite pain-in-the-behind!" Nessie said before she greeted Rosalie and smiled at Bella. "Hello Bella, it's really nice to meet the woman that put my husband in his place!"

Jacob laughed and he pulled her against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "You and Quil put me into my place every day!"

"They should put you in a kennel, _dog_!" Rosalie retorted.

Jacob threw his head back and laughed. Afterwards he stared at Rosalie with a mischievous gleam in his eye, "Hey Rose - How do you drown a blonde?" he sniggered.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes into icy slits but Nessie rolled her eyes at Bella and she put a hand on each shoulder, "Okay, enough, you two! You are going to scare Bella into thinking that neither of you can be trusted to fix her car!"

Nessie motioned to Jacob's office, "Come and have a seat Bella, just ignore them." She turned to glare at Jake and Rosalie who were grinning at each other as they scuffled to get to the doorway first.

Bella looked at Nessie, "Have you all known each other long?"

"Too long!" All three said before they laughed.

"Rose and Jacob went to school together and Rose and I were friends from when her family lived in Akron, before her dad married Alice's father." Nessie explained.

Jacob picked up a piece of paper and sat down next to his wife, "Bella, I've had a look at your baby and it can be fixed up. It's going to take some time and I need to speak to some friends of mine in Mexico, although your car was manufactured in Germany, the parts from Mexico will work just fine. There is quite a list of things to replace or fit, but if you give me some time, it can all be done so that you will be driving a legal, road-worthy car. Do you have your driver's license with you?"

"Fuck!" the quietly muttered curse was not lost on the three adults.

In the silence of the room, Bella stared at the hardwood floor hoping that it would open up and swallow her whole! She hadn't thought about the fact that they would be expecting her to produce her driver's license.

"Bella, Honey, do you have a drivers permit?" Rosalie asked quietly.

Bella bit her lip and shook her head without looking up.

Jacob was frowning and he opened his mouth but Rosalie stopped his next question with a vigorous shake of her head, her eyes silently telling him that 'now was not the time for this'.

"Well, you obviously can drive, but we need to get you a learner's permit quickly so that you can log your hours and get your driver's license. We will all give you lessons and surprisingly Randall Wilber is a great Driver's Ed teacher. He gives lessons to all the kids." Rosalie said before she looked at Jacob and changed the subject.

"What's the bottom line, Jake? Bella needs to know so that she can budget for this."

Bella looked at Jacob and she nodded nervously, "Just tell me what it's going to be."

Jacob nodded, "Okay, well, you need to remember that we might be able to bring the costs down by using second hand parts – Quil and I always go to the dumps, but you are looking at about one thousand, seven hundred dollars."

Bella willed herself not to faint. She felt the blood leave her face and her hands began to tremble.

_One thousand, seven hundred dollars! How the fuck was she ever going to find that kind of money?_

She heard voices and looked up to see Rosalie pressing a glass into her hand, "Drink this water, Bella."

As she sipped the water, Jacob explained that the price he quoted was the 'worst case' scenario price but also included new seats, new tires and interior, fixed bodywork and a brand new paint job. He would do it in stages and did not expect her to pay for 'luxuries' such as seats or paintwork until the car was up and running.

"Can you afford to pay fifty dollars a week?" Jake asked quietly.

Bella smiled with relief, "Are you sure that I can pay it off?"

"Of course, Bella. I have asked Emmett to draw up the agreement, so that you know that it all legal and above board. If at any time, you want me to stop, I will stop looking for parts, finish the work that I am on currently and that's it. To get it on the road again, you are looking at about four hundred. How does that sound?" Jacob asked.

Bella smiled, "Much better than one thousand, seven hundred dollars! Fu- I mean, damn you know how to give me a heart attack, don't you?"

Jake laughed loudly, "Got to keep you on your toes, Potty-mouth!"

Bella glared at him.

"Em will bring the papers here tomorrow, can you make it?"

They agreed to a time and then Bella and Rosalie left.

As they drove to fetch the children who were playing with friends, Rosalie looked at Bella briefly, "If you don't have your permit, how did you learn to drive?"

Bella snorted and she looked out of her window as she answered, "It was one of the few things that the foster father did for me that was good. He used to get pissed at friends and Kate, his wife couldn't drive, but she also refused to walk or take a bus, so just after I went to live with them, I had to learn to drive his old truck. Our school had drivers Ed and I took a few classes. He never noticed the bumps on that old piece of shit."

Rosalie didn't say anything, but her mind was racing. Everything that she learned about Bella made admire the young woman more. Over the past few days Emmett had been very tight lipped about his findings of one Isabella Marie Swan. Rosalie had heard him talking to people on the phone and previous evening she had raced into his office when she had heard something crash against a wall.

_**When she had opened his door, she found glass on the floor, from where he had thrown a glass against the far wall.**_

"_**Baby! Are you okay? What's going on?"**_

_**Emmett was standing at his desk, his eyes were almost black with fury as he hissed down the phone, "Listen Don, don't you fucking tell me that you need her to testify against them! This girl is fucking broken because of your so called 'system'! There is no way on God's green earth that I am sending her back to that fucking hell-hole! Just fix it! Yeah, I hear you, but you hear me and hear me good: If I have to tell the press that your department has placed an innocent child in the hands of a fucking monster, knowingly, well, that's not going to look good for you now is it? Come your next election, I don't think that you will get many votes."**_

_**Rosalie stared at Emmett with her mouth hanging open. In the twenty-five years that she had known Emmett Cullen she had never heard him speak to another person the way that he was talking to whoever this Don character was.**_

_**Emmett motioned for her to come inside and he threw himself into his chair and raked his large hand through his dark curls as he listened impatiently.**_

_**With a heavy sigh he ran his hand over his face and nodded, "Okay, so Simon and Kate Rawlings are now in custody and all the minors have been removed from their house." He said in a calmer tone. "Well with the photographs that he was selling to his pedophile friends and the videos from the bathroom, as well as the testimony of the children, There should be enough evidence, right?"**_

_**Rosalie put her hand over her mouth as she inched her way to the chair on the other side of the desk and sat down.**_

_**She had a sinking feeling that she knew who he was talking about.**_

_**Bella.**_

_**Emmett nodded and spoke again, "Oh! What about those dogs in the back yard... Half starved? It's a shame that they had to be destroyed, and I hope that there are charges being brought against them for that as well… that's good to hear. Okay, look that's everything, but please keep me informed, Don, don't make me take this further, I intend to see justice done for this girl."**_

_**Emmett put the phone onto the desk and after a few minutes his sad, angry eyes looked at his wife.**_

"_**I thank God that our children will be well looked after if anything ever happens to us, Babe. If you knew…" Emmett stopped talking as his eyes filled with sudden tears.**_

_**Rosalie exclaimed as she jumped up and ran to him, pulling his shoulders until he buried his head against her stomach, his arms wrapped around her in a tight vice-like grip.**_

_**Rosalie hummed as she held him tighter and ran her hand through his soft curls.**_

"_**She's safe now, Babe. She's here and she is safe and we will make sure that nothing bad happens to her again, okay?"**_

_**When Emmett lifted his head, his red rimmed eyes looked up at her, "I love you." He said.**_

"_**I love you more," Rosalie responded with a tender smile.**_

"_**Do you want to talk about it?"**_

_**Emmett shook his head as his eyes darkened and Rosalie's breath caught in her throat.**_

"_**Not now. I want to take you to our bed and make love to you all night long."**_

_**Rose cocked an eyebrow as she smirked, "All night long, Tiger? Hmm, I don't think you've got it in you!" **_

_**Emmett shook his head, "Oh ye of little faith… let me give you a word of advice."**_

"_**What?"**_

_**Emmett rose to his feet slowly, "Run!"**_

_**Rosalie gasped and turned in a flurry. She was fast but Emmett was faster.**_

_**He caught her at the study door and by the time they got to the hallway, Rosalie was ready to scream 'uncle'.**_

_**As Emmett sank into her warm, wetness for the third time that night, or early morning, Rosalie had conceded that Emmett knew what he was talking about.**_

Bella was also lost in her own thoughts. She was thinking back to the previous afternoon when she had arrived at the house with Esme only to see the police cruiser in the driveway. Right away Bella could not wait to get as far away from Jasper Cullen as she could. She had hurried down the road, upset that she would be missing the cup of tea that she and Esme had each afternoon in Esme's lovely kitchen. As she reached her front door, a large slim hand had closed over her shoulder, causing Bella to scream as she turned around ready to attack, Jasper had just dodged the fist that flew out to meet his face.

"Whoa there Slugger!" Jasper said as he danced away from her.

Bella was sure that she had peed in her jeans. She was pissed. Really pissed.

"_Fucking Hell!_ What the fuck is it with you fucking men that you have to sneak up on someone like a fucking ninja? What the fucking hell is wrong with you people? If you don't want me here, I will leave, but you don't have to give me a fucking, goddamned heart attack!"

In the ensuing silence, Bella realized that she might have screeched – yes screeched at the Sherriff of the town. Not the smartest move she had ever made. And she had tried to punch his nose.

After about five minutes of Jasper opening and closing his mouth like a damn guppy, he had apologized to Bella for his 'abominable behavior' (_what the fuck ever! Big ass words!_).

Bella assure him that it was in the past.

A little voice niggled _'what about when they find out about the baby?' _

Bella ignored it.

Rosalie brought herself out of her musing and shook her head slightly to clear the lust induced fog – she couldn't wait for tonight and she hoped that Emmett would like the little sheer number that Alice had made for her.

"Well, when you are at our place tonight, you can look over the online drivers education classes and then next week we will get you a learner's permit. You will need to drive supervised for the next year, but then you can take your driver's test." Rosalie said decisively.

When Bella looked at her, Rosalie saw the excitement in her eyes before she ducked her head and hid her face, "You don't have to do that for me."

Rosalie put her indicator on to turn into Jed and Emma's friends driveway, "I know that, Silly Belle, but I want to, so suck it up!"

Bella snorted and shook her head, "You are all crazy."

Rosalie grinned at her as she put her SUV into 'park', "I never said that we were sane, Bella. Come on, you can meet Angie."

Angela Yorkie greeted Bella warmly. She found out that Angela also worked with Alice and did a lot of the clothing repairs and alterations for Alice. Her husband, Eric worked with Jasper as a deputy. Bella liked the slightly book-wormish looking woman with the black framed glasses that she kept pushing up her nose and her mousy brown hair that she complained was 'out of control'. Bella agreed – the slightly wild, wavy curls flew around Angie's face as she fluttered around her kitchen with nervous energy.

"Chip!" She shouted, even though the cottage wasn't a large one.

A little boy with dark, straight hair, and slightly slanted eyes ran into the kitchen, "Yes, Mom? Oh hi Mrs. Cullen." He said politely when he saw them.

Rosalie smiled, "Hey Chip, can you call Jed and Emma for me Honey? But make sure that you all pick up your toys first."

"Yes ma'am." He turned to his mother, "Mom, do you know that Dale and Emma are in the same class this year?" he said, but ran off before she could respond.

Angela smiled sadly at them sadly, "My babies are all growing up. I told Eric that I think it's time for number three."

Rosalie explained, "Dale is Angela and Eric's five year old and she is just a honey."

Bella bit her lip hard, _Chip and Dale? Are they kidding me? Who the fu-fudge names their kids Chip and Dale?_ Luckily she kept her thoughts to herself and merely smiled.

A few minutes later they all heard the clutter of feet and then Jed, Chip, Emma, and a little girl that was the splitting image of Angela, Dale ran into the room. The little girl smiled shyly at Bella and Rosalie and immediately she crossed to her mother's side, while Emma hugged her mother and smiled at Bella.

"Chip, Dale, this is a friend of the Cullen's. Bella, this is Chip and this is Dale."

The children smiled at her shyly, "It's very nice to meet you both."

"Thank you Mrs. Bella." Chip said politely and Bella smiled, "It's just Bella."

They left shortly afterwards and made the trip to Rosalie and Emmett's large cream double story home.

"Are you going to stay with us, Bella?" Emma asked as Bella helped her out of her car seat.

"I am, is that okay with you?"

"Sure, Brady and Chelsea are coming too and we are having Macaroni for dinner aren't we Mommy?" the little girl shook her blonde curls down her back as she ran to the front door.

"We are indeed. Is that okay with you Bella?"

Bella nodded and she slipped her shoes off at the front door and placed them neatly on the small bench where she saw the others put their shoes.

"It's one of my favorites. I can make it if you like, Rosalie. I used to make it all the time for, um for the little ones back in Phoenix." She said as she followed the family into the great room that took up most of the bottom floor. The room was just as Bella had expected from Rosalie, immaculate and modern.

The stainless steel countertops and appliances offset the hardwood floors. She peeped into the room that had once been the back porch and saw that it had been turned into a playroom/den which held a large bright yellow and white polka dotted sofa in one corner of the room that faced a plasma screen on one wall.

Rosalie looked at Bella happily, "Are you sure Bella? That would be so great, and then I can take my time getting ready for tonight."

Bella smiled when she saw how excited Rosalie was. Her eyes were sparkling and she had two high spots of color on her cheeks.

"How long have you been married?"

Rosalie grinned, "Ten years this year, but we have been together for twelve and of course I've known Emmett since I was ten." She turned to look at her children; "Bella is going to start dinner for you. You can either watch a little television or you can play outside. Chels, Brady, and Bree should be here shortly, Okay? You mind Bella, she is in charge okay?"

"Okay!" Emma giggled while Jed shook his head at his baby sister's antics, "Yes, Mommy."

Rosalie quickly showed Bella where everything was that she needed before she hurried upstairs to shower.

Once she was gone, the children looked at Bella expectantly, "Well, I might need some help to get dinner ready, so who would like to be my helpers?"

When Rosalie stepped out of the shower, she could hear giggles and voices coming from downstairs. It sounded as if Alice had arrived. She walked into the master bedroom to find Alice sitting on her bed.

"Why aren't you at home getting ready?" Rose asked as she walked across the large room to her dressing room.

When she and Emmett had bought the house, Emmett had gifted Rosalie a state-of-the-art sit in dressing room. It was the size of a small bedroom with cream carpets, wall-to-wall closets and a cream sofa with floor to ceiling three way mirrors at one end. Her makeup station was on another wall, next to her most prized possession – her shoe collection. If Rosalie Cullen had one weakness besides her family it was her shoes.

Alice followed her into the dressing room, "I'm on my way now, but I think that Bella is the Pied Piper. She has got all four kids downstairs, helping her to assemble the Mac 'n Cheese. She's amazing with them and they adore her."

Rosalie dropped the towel unselfconsciously and walked to her lingerie drawer. At five foot seven, Rosalie was tall, lithe, and breathtakingly beautiful. Her honey blonde hair was all-natural, even though woman spent thousands of dollars to try and capture the color, it just wasn't possible. Where Alice was petite, pale and raven haired, Rosalie was the quintessential California girl. At thirty four she had the body of a twenty year old and though she worked out three days a week, her well toned body came from her job as a vet and great genes.

"I know, Bella is a Godsend! You know how clingy Emma has been lately? What with going to 'big' school and so on? Well I thought that she was going to throw a fit over us leaving tonight, but she didn't even look at me when I said that Bella was in charge."

The half sister's talked for a few more minutes before Alice went home to get ready. She and Jasper had been married for eleven years, and Alice had never been more in love with him. She had loved Jasper from the first moment that she had seen him, peeking over her fence as the furniture removal van was offloading their furniture.

"_**Hi." the little blonde boy had said when she spied him at the wooden ranch fence. The big house was far away from Alice's parents' new home but she could see that it was much bigger than her own, yellow bungalow.**_

"_**Hi." Alice had said.**_

"_**I'm Jasper Cullen and I'm eight."**_

"_**Well, I'm Alice Whitlock and I'm also eight."**_

"_**Who's that?" Jasper asked motioning to the tall man with blonde hair and laughing blue eyes.**_

"_**That's my stepdad, Brandon Hale. He married my mom, that's her over there," Alice pointed to a petite dark haired woman who was laughing with her stepdad. **_

_**The children watched as the two adult walked towards each other before Brandon picked Megan up and she wrapped her legs around his hips as they came together in a kiss that almost caused the delivery men to drop her mother's prized amour!**_

"_**Ohhh, they are gross! They do that all the time! Rosie, she's my half sister, she's Brandon's kid, well she says that she saw them rolling around in the sitting room the other night. They were rolling on the floor and smooching!" Alice announced as her tiny nose scrunched up with distaste. **_

_**Jasper looked away from the adults to where the little girl with the straggly black hair was standing.**_

"_**Alice?"**_

"_**Yeah?"**_

"_**I'm gonna kiss you like that someday."**_

_**Alice turned to look at the blonde boy with the clear blue eyes, and without a hint of distain or distaste she nodded, "Just don't keep me waiting too long, you hear?"**_

_**They smiled at each other in perfect accord, "I won't."**_

_**Jasper waited until he was twelve to kiss Alice and when he had pulled away from her lips slightly, she had smiled up at him, her tawny eyes as captivating as ever, "At last." She sighed.**_

Alice's smile wavered as she pulled up outside their home, she loved Jasper, but she had not been pleased with his outburst on Sunday at lunch. Alice didn't understand why he was being so uncharacteristically stubborn.

Jasper was usually so calm and peace loving that Alice had been shocked by his grilling of Bella at his parents' house.

She had not spoken a word to him on the journey home that day it was only later that evening that Alice had finally forced him to talk to her, which had ended in him sleeping on the sofa in his office.

He felt guilty for the way that he had treated Bella but he felt that he was justified in his role as Sherriff to make sure that Bella was not going to be trouble for their small community.

Even though they were talking to each other again, Alice had felt the distance between them over the past four days and she hated it.

She got out of her car and quickly set about getting ready for their special evening. Just like previous years, Alice had no idea what Jasper had prepared for her.

She showered and was sitting at her dressing table blow-drying her hair when Jasper walked into their bedroom.

Their eyes met in the mirror and felt the heat of his gaze as it flicked over her scantily clad body in the red bra and panties.

Jasper swallowed loudly, "Thank God our reservations are only for eight." He said as Alice spun gracefully on her seat to face him.

The strain of the past few days fell away as she watched him unbutton his shirt with one hand, the other hand ran through his hair.

Alice smirked, "You think we are going to make it?" she asked as she stood up and walked towards him.

Jasper's shirt fell to the floor as he pulled her against his hard frame, "Do you care?" he whispered as he picked her up and stalked toward the bed.

Alice laughed as she bounced against the mattress, her legs splayed out so that he could see the wetness pooling on her panties.

"Why, Sherriff, what did you have in mind?" her eyes were wide with fake surprise.

Jasper chuckled as his pulsing cock pressed against Alice's heat, pushing his hips into hers, "This may take a while, ma'am…"

"_Oh Sherriff…"_

=====HS=====

When Emmett and Rosalie walked downstairs, they found the kitchen was spotless and all four children were sitting at the long wooden table eating macaroni and cheese that smelled delicious.

Bella was sitting between Brady and Emma and she was smiling at a story that Jed and Chelsea were telling her.

Emmett cleared his throat and everyone looked up at the smartly dressed couple. Rosalie was wearing silver, simmering dress that hugged her every curve, while Emmett was wearing a blue summer suit with a crisp white shirt and silver tie. Bella thought that they were the most extraordinarily good-looking couple that she had ever seen.

"WOW! Mommy, you look so beautiful!" Emma exclaimed as she clapped her hands and everyone joined in by clapping and shouting their approval.

Emmett grinned at them, his dimples identical to his childrens. "Okay, let's keep it down. Now, while we are out, Bella is in charge, so when she says that it's bath and bedtime, you listen to her. Hey! Where is Brianna?"

Bella answered, "She sent me a text to say that a Mrs. Biers will be dropping her off?"

Rosalie nodded, "That's Brittany's mom. Okay well I hope that she isn't too late. Bella, if you need anything, our cell phone numbers are on the fridge."

"E-e-dward put them onto the phone that he gave me, or um, Esme gave me." Bella mumbled as her cheeks turned pink.

Neither adult commented on Bella's sudden fluster. She was not the type to stutter or mumble, but it seemed that when Edward's name was mentioned, she turned into a bungling mess.

"Okay, well, we should be home by around one."

Bella smiled as they kissed each child goodnight, Brady and Chelsea were spending the night as Alice had taken their children the previous year.

Bella made sure that the children were eating again before she followed Emmett and Rosalie to the front door.

"Thank you for doing this Bella. If you need anything or if there is an emergency, phone us or you can phone _Edward_, he can get here faster and he is at home tonight." Emmett said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Bella blushed again but before she could say anything, Rosalie grabbed Emmett's hand and pulled him down the steps to his gleaming black Hummer.

"Bye!" Bella said before she closed the door and walked back to join the children.

She hadn't seen Edward since the disastrous lunch but she had heard from him.

Edward had begun to phone Bella each evening, beginning on Monday. After she had recovered from her initial shock and embarrassment, she had lain in bed talking to him for a half an hour.

Tuesday their conversation had gone on for an hour.

The previous evening, he had stayed on the line talking with her until she was yawing in the darkness.

They spoke about everything and nothing. Edward told her about his brief stint living in New York and she told him about living in Arizona.

He spoke about always wanting to be a doctor and she whispered her dreams about becoming a kindergarten teacher.

He told her about growing up on the farm with his parents and she told him about spending Christmas at a homeless shelter.

They had not spoken about what had happened on Sunday, except for Edward to tell her that his brothers and he had been sent home for a 'time-out', which Bella found really funny.

Once the children had finished dinner, Bella ushered them upstairs for their baths. The boys bathed in the blue and white bathroom that was across the hall from the pink and white bathroom that belonged to Emma.

Bella went between the two rooms, making sure that the boys washed behind their ears and the girls didn't wet their hair, as instructed by their mothers.

Once they were dried and dressed, Bella left them to play in their bedrooms while she quickly washed the baths and tidied the rooms before she gave them permission to watch a movie in the den downstairs.

She pulled out her phone and saw that it was already after eight. After pondering for a moment she scrolled until she found Bree's number and she hit the green button.

It took three rings before Bree answered sounding breathless, "Hello?"

"Bree? It's Bella; I was getting worried about you. Where are you?"

"Um, Bella, hi! We are almost there; I will see you in a few minutes."

Bella stared down at the phone with a worried frown.

Bree didn't sound like herself at all. She sounded giddy and breathless.

Bella opened the front door only to find Bree hurriedly buttoning her shirt while a boy, who looked to be around the same age as Bree or perhaps a little older was smoothing down his light brown hair.

The two teenagers jumped apart as the door opened wide and Bella looked from one to the other.

"Bree? What are you doing?" she asked.

From the look of them, Bella had a good idea what they had been doing and she felt anger cruise through her body, _what the fuck? Her parents are going to blame me for her behavior; _Bella thought as she stepped outside and quietly closed the door. She like Bree but the girl was only fourteen! _What was she thinking? What were you thinking when you let Tyler… shut up!_

Bella's narrowed eyes met that of the frightened looking boy who had taken a step backwards but Bella noticed that he still gripped Bree's hand tightly in his own.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly.

"I'm, I'm Riley Biers ma'am." He stuck out his free hand.

Bella folded her arms over her chest and stared from one to the other.

"I'd better go inside, Riley. I will talk to you later." Bree said and she quickly reached up and kissed his reddening cheek.

"We didn't do anything wrong! I don't want to hide anymore!" Riley suddenly blurted out as he looked at Bree.

Her eyes were shining with tears as she nodded, "I know, Ri, but my parents will never understand. Please, go home and I will talk to you later."

Riley turned away and strode down the steps and the pathway before he got onto a bicycle that was propped against a tree and he rode away quickly.

Bree looked at Bella with silent tears rolling down her cheeks, "Please, please don't tell my parents, Bella…" she began before she covered her face with her hands.

Bella sighed and she suddenly felt really old as she put an arm hesitantly around the girl's shoulders and led her inside.

"Why don't you go upstairs and wash your face and pull yourself together? If the kids see you like this, they are going to broadcast it louder than a foghorn. I will warm up your dinner." Bella said quietly.

Bree nodded and she ran up the stairs and after Bella checked to see that all four children were still engrossed in their movie, she went into the kitchen and warmed up a helping of dinner.

Bree looked a little better when she came back downstairs. Her eyes showed signs of her tears but she had obviously washed her face and brushed her hair, which was now pulled into a long ponytail.

Her top was straightened and although creased was neater than before.

Bella motioned to the plate at the counter and she poured them each a cup of tea.

She stood on the other side of the counter and looked at her young friend.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Bree swallowed her food and sighed, "Riley is our Pastor's son and Brittany's brother. He is fifteen and we have been seeing each other for the past two months. Nothing has happened, but we love each other and it's just so unfair that we can't be together!" she shook her head dramatically and reached for her tea.

Bella listened for the next few minutes as Bree told her about how they had become close after they had both been pushed together at camp earlier that summer.

Bella excused herself quickly and she went to check on the children, who were almost asleep. She switched the movie off and they all went upstairs. Bella tucked each child in and they were asleep before she had switched off their lights, leaving only their night lights burning.

Bree had finished eating and she was curled up in a corner of the sofa in the den, nursing her mug of tea.

Bella got her own mug and she joined her.

"So, I don't know what to do. Riley wants to speak to my dad, but I think that he will hit the roof! I promise that we aren't going to do anything, Bella!"

Bella looked into Bree's eyes and she was reminded of how similar they were to Edward's. Bree's eyes weren't as green, but they were still intense.

"You know Bree, you keep saying that, but what I saw didn't look like 'nothing.' It looked like you were putting your clothes on in a hurry."

Bree turned bright red but said nothing.

"I'm sure that Riley is a good kid, but being um, _pure_, is special and you shouldn't be in a hurry to give it away to the first boy who comes along."

Bree opened her mouth, but Bella held up her hand to silence her, "When you give yourself to someone, it should be special and right. Your family loves you Brianna and if sleeping with this boy or even fooling around will dishonor them, then it's not the right time. You both need to wait until it is the right time, so that you don't hurt yourselves or your families."

Bella wanted to cry as she thought about her own deflowering. In the backseat of her dead father's Beetle, being pounded into by a boy who hadn't taken any time with her at all. He hadn't even kissed her.

Bree was wiping a tear off her cheek and Bella smiled sadly, "You should talk to your mom or your sisters-in-law, or even your dad. Let them guide you, if you keep it a secret, then it's like you already know that you are doing something wrong."

Bree nodded, "Are you going to tell?"

Bella shook her head, "It's not my story to tell, but if you keep sneaking around, someone will find out and they will tell, so best you do it first."

The rest of the evening passed with Bree and Bella watching television. Bree fell asleep and Bella covered her with a cotton throw before she got up and used the guest bathroom and checked on the children.

Brady was snoring quietly, his blonde hair matted on his face. Jed had flung his arms wide and he looked much younger as he slept.

Emma was sucking her thumb, with her fingers curled around a small baby blanket and Chelsea was curled into a ball under the covers.

Bella watched them for a moment. She wondered what she had looked like as a child, sleeping in a little bed before her father died.

_Had they lived in an apartment or a house? Did they have any pets? Where they happy? Did Charlie Swan brush her hair out of her face at night? Did he tuck her into bed and tell her a story?_

Bella became aware that she was crying and she hurried across the hall to the bathroom.

She knew that it was pointless and dangerous to think like that! All it did was to make her ache inside, and it was a waste of time!

As she walked downstairs her phone rang and she smiled when she saw Edward's name flashing on the screen.

Her heart skipped a beat and she sank down onto the step, "Hey!"

"Hey Bella, how are the rug rats?"

Bella smiled at the teasing tone of his voice, "You know that these kids are like little angels right? I mean they are so well mannered and well behaved it is scary! Your sisters and brothers know how to raise almost perfect children!"

Edward way lying in the hammock in his back yard as he laughed, "Yeah, you would say that, you cougar, you are apparently marrying my nephew!"

"What did you call me?" Bella mock growled.

"What? A cougar? Oh come on, surely you've heard that expression? Jeez, I thought that you were living in Arizona, not Mars!"

They burst out laughing.

After a few minutes, Bella heard Bree talking on her phone and she told Edward that she had to go and they promised to talk over the weekend.

Edward suggested that he and Bella go for a picnic on Sunday and she agreed before she could think about it. She stared at her phone for a long time as she sat on the stairs – _did she have a date with Edward on Sunday?_

=====HS=====

Edward pushed himself on the hammock as he stared up at the stars. He had missed seeing her that week but he was forcing himself to keep his distance, just as his father had advised him to do.

Carlisle had told him that Emmett was 'working on some leads' and that he should have news for them early in the following week.

He had not spoken to Jasper at all and when Jasper had walked into his surgery to speak to him on Tuesday morning, Edward had hidden, actually hidden in his office while Jasper had talked to Carlisle.

When he had left Carlisle had walked into Edward's office and sat on an opposite seat and he had just stared at Edward until finally, Edward had jumped to his feet and threw his hands up, just and Carlisle knew that he would do – Edward hated the silent treatment.

"Okay, Dad! I give! What do you want me to say? I am not speaking to your son until he has apologized to Bella properly and with sufficient meaning! He was being a bully – not a cop! And she is not on trial!"

Edward threw himself into his chair and scowled as he ran his hands threw through the hair and pouted as he stared out the window.

Carlisle bit back his own smile – Edward's expression was the same as it had been when he was two years old and Jasper and Emmett used to tease him.

Carlisle leaned back and gave him a moment before he began to speak, "Edward, I know that you like her. I like her. Your mother and sisters love her, but your brother was only looking out for us – all of us. You can't deny that she withheld the truth from us," Edward snorted and Carlisle didn't tell him that he knew that Bella still had more secrets.

Suddenly he was frustrated with Edward's refusal to see things from his point of view: "The thing is, she is essentially a stranger and whether you like it or not, I will not have a bad influence harm my wife, children or grandchildren. That is just not an option, so let's get through this as quickly as possible. You don't have to like what Jas did, _fuck_, Edward, _I _don't like what he did or how he did it, but he had his reasons!"

Edward was staring at his father slack jawed. He had only heard Carlisle cuss a couple of times and seldom had his father said the word, 'fuck'.

Carlisle got up and walked to the office door, "Now, Jasper came to apologize to you in person. He has already been to see your brother and sister, Billy and Sue, your mother and me, so now he just needs you to give him a chance to speak to you. He has also apologized to Bella, in person."

Edward stood up and faced his father, "I know that you think that my friendship with Bella is a bad idea, but I _am_ her friend."

Carlisle shook his head, "You are just as stubborn as your mother."

Edward grinned, "I get that from you, Dad, just ask Mom!"

That night Edward got home to find Jasper sitting on his front porch.

The brothers stared at each other in silence.

"I shouldn't have embarrassed her like that, in front of everyone." Jasper said quietly.

Edward pursed his lips and gave a sharp nod, "No, you shouldn't have. Why did you Jas? You are not mean spirited but you behaved like a thoughtless, heartless bastard and I just don't understand why? What has she done to you?"

Jasper moved to stand up but Edward held out his hand to stop him, "Stay down or else I might be tempted to knock you the fuck down."

Jasper nodded, "I have just been suspicious of Bella. She seems like such a world-weary person, you know street-wise and yet she has this wide-eyed innocence about her, but at the same time, I get the feeling that she's hiding something."

He sighed, "I blew it. I was horrible and acted like a conceited asshole. I told her that I was sorry and I am. I'm sorry Edward." Edward stared down at Jasper; he felt the fire and fight go out of him. He sank down next to Jasper and rested his elbows on his knees, "I like her Jas and before you tell me some bullshit about her being too young for me or this being highly inappropriate, it's not like that – we, Bella and I – well we are friends and she needs friends, man. Just give her a chance."

As Jasper drove away that evening, he smiled to himself, "It's not like that - _my ass _– it is exactly like that! The foolish boy just doesn't want to acknowledge it yet."

=====HS=====

Even though they hadn't seen each other, Edward had not been able to resist phoning her every night. He had grown very fond of their conversations and he had to force himself not to rush to phone her as soon as he was done with work each night.

The more that he learned about Bella – the more he wanted to know.

Edward had decided that he was not going to show any sympathy for what Bella had gone through in her life. He would tease her, torment her, even pick on her, but he would never tell her how heartbroken he was over how she had lived the past fourteen years of her life.

He knew some of her story, but they had never discussed what had made her run, what had driven her to drive across the country headed for a country that she knew nothing about – just to get away. He knew that it was bad, but he would wait for her to tell him.

She was beginning to trust him, and the thought made his heart beat a little faster. The fact that Bella was nine years and seven months younger than him had given him a few sleepless nights but after Bella had pointed out that what she had seen in her eighteen years, he might never experience had eased his mind.

So he lay in the hammock on Thursday night talking to his new 'friend' quietly.

"Don't you want to be my friend?" she asked.

"I didn't say that we couldn't be friends, Bella. I said that you probably would want friends of your own age. We shouldn't be friends – I'm too old for you."

Bella had gone quiet for so long that Edward thought that she had fallen asleep, until she whispered, "Age is in the mind, Edward, and sometimes I feel as if I am a hundred. Besides you are my best friend."

Her words had warmed Edward's cold heart and he knew that he should be afraid that he was falling deeper into something that he was too afraid to identify, but he wasn't afraid. He was excited.

When he finally said good night he only had one thought in mind:_ He had a date with Bella Swan on Sunday!_

=====HS=====

Bella had a busy day at the shop on Friday but she was thrilled that she was able to pay for all of her new clothes with her baby sitting money and she still had money over so she treated herself to dinner at the pub where Makenna kept her company before she walked home to read and relax. At around nine that night Bella decided to get into bed. She was in the process of brushing her teeth when she felt very wet between her legs.

She screamed as she looked down and saw the puddle of blood at her feet. Bella quickly sat down on the toilet and she felt the first onset of a cramp that soon had her doubled over and gasping for breath.

She took a wad of toilet paper and put it between her legs before she almost crawled into her bedroom and pulled the phone off her bed.

Her hands were shaking so hard that she had to use both hands to press the speed dial button.

"Hey there Bella! This-"

Bella sobbed into the phone, "E-e-edward… oh God… oh God, please come."

Edward had been at home, working on the same piece of music that had plagued him for days when his phone rang. He was surprised but thrilled when he had seen Bella's name pop up.

When he heard her crying, Edward was across the room pulling his keys off the hook and he was out the door before she even spoke.

By the time the line had gone dead, he was speeding down his road with only one thought in his head; _he had to get to Bella – fast!_

**A/N: I'm sorry! I had to end it there or else we would be in for a huge ass chapter, and I know that you don't want that! Thank you so much for your support in reading and reviewing this story. I hope that you are all still enjoying it. I promise that I WON'T keep you waiting for a week till the next update!**

**Love and hugs,**

**Michele**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 8…**_

_**Bella sobbed into the phone, "E-e-edward….oh god….oh god, please come."**_

_**Edward had been at home, working on the same piece of music that had plagued him for days when his phone rang. He was surprised but thrilled when he had seen Bella's name pop up.**_

_**When he heard her crying, Edward was across the room pulling his keys off the hook and he was out the door before she even spoke.**_

_**By the time the line had gone dead, he was speeding down his road with only one thought in his head; he had to get to Bella – fast!**_

**CHAPTER 9 – BITTERSWEET FAREWELL**

***** WARNING – THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SCENES OF MISCARRIAGE AND MAY BE UPSETTING TO SOME PEOPLE*** PLEASE BE WARNED!*****

A thousand horrific scenes raced through Edward's head and he virtually flew down the quiet roads towards his parents' home.

He pulled into the long dirt drive and saw the lights in the shed and Bella's rooms. Without bothering to close his door or turn his car off, Edward raced into the shed and saw her door was open, "BELLA! BELL- oh my God! _Bella!"_

Bella had pulled herself into the doorway of the bathroom, but the first thing that Edward saw was Bella's blood stained hands as she held the bloody wadding that she held in place between her legs. His shocked eyes met her red tear soaked ones.

"_What the…! Fuck_!" Edward's switched from friend to doctor as he appraised the situation.

He knelt beside her and put one hand on her sweaty forehead, while he felt her pulse at the base of her throat with his fingers.

Good – no fever.

Pulse – fast but strong.

"It's okay Bella, I'm here. It's going to be okay. I want you to relax as much as possible and take deep calming breaths for me, okay?"

Bella nodded and Edward had to turn his face away to hide the sudden rush of moisture to his eyes. He could see what was happening – he had worked enough hours in the emergency room to know a miscarriage about to happen when he saw it.

"How far along are you?" he asked after he swallowed the bile that was threatening to rise up.

Bella shook her head and whispered something.

Edward sat down next to her and tipped her chin to look into her eyes, "I know that you are scared, but Bella, this is important so I need you to answer me, alright?"

"Okay," Bella licked her dry lips.

Edward smiled encouragingly, "Good girl, now do you know how far along you are?"

Bella shook her head, "N-no – but I didn't have a period after the one in May."

Edward nodded, "Okay, so you are probably in your first trimester or so. Bella, have you been to see a doctor? Clinic?"

Bella shook her head as fresh tears cruised down her cheeks.

Edward brushed his thumb over her cheek, "This is not your fault Bella. Sometimes nature takes its course. Look, I need to get you to the hospital over in Woodstock. I want you to wait here, okay?"

Bella nodded and Edward quickly walked outside. He opened the back door as he pulled a thick padded blanket from a lock-box in the bed of his truck. He spread the blanket out over the seat and pulled a pillow from the lockbox. Before he walked back inside he made two phone calls.

The first was to his parents' very good friend Doctor Amun Malek, who also happened to be the Chief of Staff over at Mercy Hospital*. Amun's wife Doctor Kebi Malek was a respected OB/GYN, who was also on staff at the hospital. Amun had met Carlisle at University and they remained close friends over the years and their families were frequent visitors to each other's homes. Edward paced as he waited for Amun to answer his phone.

When he did, Edward quickly told him what had happened and Amun called his wife to the phone; Kebi told Edward that she would meet them at the hospital. She told Edward to keep Bella calm, but not to make any promises that they would not be able to keep because she said that it sounded as if Bella's body was in the process of expelling the fetus, but the way that he had described the amount of large clots that he had seen.

Edward phoned Emmett next and told him what had happened and promised to phone him with an update.

He raced into the shed and saw that Bella was sitting on the toilet, with her head resting on her knees as she sobbed.

"Bella, come on love, I need to get you to the hospital where I sometimes work. My dad's friend Kebi will meet us there and she will take care of you. Kebi is an obstetrician and she is very good at what she does. Now, can you stand up?"

Bella raised her tear streaked face to Edward and he felt his heart shatter at the sight of her grief ravaged eyes.

"It's gone, isn't it? It's too late." She whispered as she clutched her abdomen as another cramp took hold.

Edward swallowed the lump in his throat as he brushed her hair out of her eyes, "Probably, love, but we won't know for sure until we have you checked out. I'm so sorry, but we still need to get you to the hospital so that Kebi can make sure that nothing is left that can become infected."

Bella nodded and Edward helped her to her feet. He noticed that she had pressed huge wads of toilet paper between her legs.

"Do you have any sanitary towels?"

Bella shook her head and when her eyes filled with more tears, Edward quickly assured her that it was didn't matter.

He grabbed a towel from the bathroom and put his arm around Bella, "Come on, love."

He wrapped the towel around her waist and bent down and scooped her into his arms and carried her out to his truck, where he placed her in the back seat and told her to lie down.

He ran back into her room and grabbed the jeans that she had discarded as well as her shoes, a bottle of water from the bar fridge and her phone before he ran back outside and in minutes they were headed to Woodstock.

The trip was quiet except for Bella's whimpers in the back seat. Edward wanted to scream out in frustration that he could not hold her in his arms.

He consoled himself with the fact that she had phoned him. She had trusted him when it mattered. He was still in shock that she was pregnant. She had never hinted at any romantic involvement and he wondered with a heavy heart if she had been raped or violated while she was living on the streets.

Twenty minutes later he pulled into the emergency parking lot of Mercy Hospital. Dr. Malek was waiting outside for them.

Edward helped Bella from her seat and he placed her gently into the wheelchair. Kebi asked Edward some questions as she directed them to a private room inside the emergency room.

Edward lifted Bella up and placed her onto the bed. She clung to his hands and pulled him close so that her mouth was next to his ear.

"I'm so very sorry that I lied to you." She whispered.

Edward lifted his head, "Don't worry about that now, love. We can talk later, but let Doctor Malek take care of you now okay? I will be outside-"

"NO! Please s-s-stay with me!" Bella looked at him with wide eyes full of pain and terror.

"Okay, okay. Kebi, is that alright?"

The tall, svelte coffee colored woman smiled at him calmly, "That is fine Edward. Hello Bella, I'm Kebi. Can you tell me when you had your last period?"

"My first day was May twelfth"

Kebi look at the date calculator, "It's August eighth so that makes you just on your thirteenth week. Does your boyfriend know that you are pregnant?"

"He wasn't my boyfriend and he didn't want any part of it."

"When did you start bleeding Bella?"

"I had some spotting a week or so ago, but it was only a little bit; and then once in a while there would be a little pink tinge as well as a bit of cramping but nothing like this – FUCK!"

Bella tried to roll onto her side as she was overcome by another cramp.

Kebi nodded again, "Alright Bella, that's fine. Edward, I need a heated pad." He noticed that there were several heated pads on a side table and he handed one to her.

"Bella, put this over your tummy, sweetie, it will help with the cramps for now. Are you taking any drugs Bella? Anything?"

Bella shook her head, "No, nothing. I've never taken anything." She panted.

"Do you smoke? Drink alcohol? Have you been tested for HIV?"

Bella answered in the negative on each of the questions and Edward felt relief at each negative answer.

He watched as Kebi took several swabs of the clots from the tissue paper that was soaked with blood. She handed them to a nurse who was standing by. She quickly drew several vials of blood, labeled them before she gave staccato instructions to the nurse.

"I need these tested immediately for…" she rattled off several acronyms while Edward sat on a stool next to Bella's head. His fingers were cool and gentle as they stroked through the tangled sweaty strands.

Kebi patted Bella's hand, "Bella, I need to check something okay? Can you lie on your back and put your feet into these stirrups? Edward please help me"

They lifted Bella's legs and Kebi quickly covered her with a clean sheet.

She sat between Bella's thighs and quietly explained that she needed to check how far along Bella's body was in expelling the fetus.

For the next hour, Kebi monitored and checked each fresh expulsion.

Bella began to cry softly and she turned her face towards Edward who all but curled his upper torso around her, as she pressed her face into his soft T-shirt and her fingers fisted in the fabric.

Edward watched as Kebi did her final examination. He saw her looking at the large clots that she removed from Bella.

Her sad, dark eyes met Edward's and she shook her head.

"Damn," Edward muttered as he quickly wiped a stray tear from his cheek.

Somehow Edward knew that this baby was important to Bella and it was the reason that she seemed to driven to make something of her life.

He leaned down and kissed the damp hair as he hummed against her ear.

He helped Kebi to lower her legs and he watched as Kebi gently washed Bella with an anti-septic wash that would help to keep the area sterilized and infection free. She put several maternity sanitary towels between her legs and she opened a pair of disposable panties and she gently dressed Bella as Edward turned his head away.

When she was finished she put another clean sheet over Bella and swapped out the pad that was pressed to her belly with another.

"Bella? Let's talk, sweetie." Kebi pulled another stool out and she sat on Bella's other side.

Bella turned her tear ravaged face to the doctor.

"I am very sorry Bella, but you have lost your baby." Bella gasped and her tiny frame shook at the words.

After a few minutes Kebi went on quietly, "From my examination, your body has undergone a complete spontaneous miscarriage and while this is upsetting, please believe me when I say that you did nothing wrong. This happens to a lot of women, one woman out of five has a first trimester miscarriage, so there is nothing that you could have done to prevent this. It also doesn't mean that you can't have children. Ninety seven percent of women who miscarry go on to have perfectly healthy babies. Were you trying to get pregnant, Bella?"

"N-n-no" she said so quietly that Kebi and Edward hardly heard her.

Kebi's next question had Edward's mind reeling, "Bella, were you raped?"

Bella shook her head before she turned to look at Edward and for the first time that night, she looked uncomfortable to have him with her.

Kebi noticed her look and she smiled at Edward, "Edward, why don't you go and get some coffee. Bella is going to be here for a little while. You could bring her some ice chips."

Edward wanted to protest, he needed to know the answer to Kebi's question, but he saw the hard look on Kebi's face and he knew that he could not stay.

Edward took the hint and he bent down and pressed his lips to Bella's forehead, "I will be back soon."

Bella nodded and gave him a sad smile.

When the door closed behind him, Kebi smiled at Bella, "Anything that you tell me at all is completely privileged information. I will never betray your confidence so whatever you tell me is safe, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Bella nodded and for the next several minutes Bella told Kebi about Tyler and the events that led to when she met up with Billy Black.

Kebi listened and made a few notes. When Bella was finished she looked at the girl who was younger than her own youngest child. "Bella, do you realize that what Tyler did was tantamount to rape, don't you?"

Bella shook her head, "But I didn't say no."

Kebi smiled, "Oh Bella, every action of yours was screaming 'no'. You were dry. You were a virgin. You tried to stop him. Just because you accepted it doesn't mean that you were looking for it, or that you wanted it to happen. You said yourself that you were shocked and afraid. You were not in a relationship with this boy. He used you and when you were faced with the consequences of his actions, he stole from you and ran away. He left you alone on the streets to fend for yourself! You were barely eighteen!"

"What happens now?" Bella asked.

Kebi handed her a book and several sheets of printed paper. "These are the instructions for your aftercare. I want you to rest for the next week. You are to stay in bed for three days at least."

"The miscarriage is almost complete from what I can tell and your bleeding should stop within a couple hours. You have been slowly miscarrying for the past week to maybe even ten days. There may still be some spotting, but it should stop within two to three days. If it doesn't or if you have pain or a heavy flow, you are to come in immediately."

Bella's mind was racing. She had no idea how she was going to stay in bed for a week! What about her job? What were the Cullens going to say when they found out that she had been lying to them all along? Jasper would probably run her out of town!

"After three days, you may sit outside for a bit, take a gentle walk around the garden, but no exercising and running around. Sleep, read, and watch television and cry. Cry all you want. You have lost someone very precious and it is okay to mourn the loss of your baby. If you want to talk to a councilor, that will be great. You need to talk about your feelings. Please don't bottle them up inside it isn't healthy. Jasper is a wonderful trauma councilor. I am prescribing you some more painkillers which you can take every four to six hours, vitamins and a good tonic to boast your immunity and I would like to see you again next week and then in six weeks."

Just then Edward knocked on the door and they both turned to smile at him. He walked in and Kebi saw the nurse standing behind him. She quickly excused herself.

"How are you feeling?"

"A little better, Doctor Malek gave me some medicine for pain. She says that I will sleep quite a bit at first. Edward," Bella began to apologize again when Kebi walked into the room again.

"Well Bella I have your results here. Would you like Edward to leave?"

Bella shook her head and she gripped his hand tightly.

"Okay, well, there doesn't seem to be any infection. Your HIV test came back negative, but I would like you to be tested once a month for the next four months – just in case. You seem to be a little malnourished but other than that, everything looks fine. I want to do an ultrasound scan now and then I want to keep you here for the next two hours and then we will do another scan to make sure that everything is still stable. If there are no complications you can go home."

A technician rolled a machine into the room and Bella watched as the woman turned knobs and switches. She smiled at Bella and asked her to pull her top up. Bella gingerly obeyed her eyes wide and fearful. Bella's hand reached out blindly towards Edward and he clasped it in both of his. He leaned forward and kissed the blood stained cold fingers that he held tightly in his.

The technician looked at Kebi and nodded, "Alright Bella, this is going to be a little cold," she said as the woman squirted a clear cold gel over Bella's abdomen. Bella shivered slightly.

Kebi leaned forward and put her hand on Bella's knee, "Bella, this is going to be uncomfortable for you because we have to press down quite firmly to make sure that we see everything, okay?"

Bella nodded and her fingers tightened around Edward's hand.

Kebi picked up the wand and began to run it over Bella's lower abdomen. Bella flinched initially but otherwise she remained stoically silent as Kebi methodically checked Bella's womb. She took off her black rimmed glasses and nodded to the technician who quickly took the machine out of the room. Kebi used clean tissue to remove the gel before she took Bella's free hand in hers.

"The spontaneous miscarriage is complete, Bella. I'm so sorry."

Bella nodded and turned her face into Edward's hands.

Doctor Malek moved around the room, putting instruments away and generally giving Bella time to get a hold of her emotions.

Finally she spoke again, "Edward says that you are a friend of the family. Are you staying with Esme and Carlisle? You are not to be alone right now."

Bella began to nod, but Edward answered, "My parents are away for the weekend and Bella was staying in an outside bedroom, so she is coming home with me. I will take care of her for as long as she needs me."

Bella gasped, "No! Edward I can't put you out like that! What about my job? I have to work Edward, I need the money!"

Edward frowned at her, "Now Bella,-"

Kebi held out her hands, "Bella, you cannot be alone for the next week to ten days at least, so either I admit you into hospital and you become our guest for the next two weeks or you can take Edward up on his offer. Now, I want you to lie down for the next couple of hours and rest. The pain killers that I gave you will make you a little drowsy so sleep if you can. Edward and I are going to have a cup of coffee."

Bella realized that the peaceful and exotic looking woman who looked as if she wouldn't or couldn't hurt a fly was actually a force to be reckoned with as she met the gleaming almost black eyes.

Bella narrowed her eyes and Kebi responded by raising her eyebrow a fraction in silent challenge.

Bella huffed and turned her face childishly away from them and she faced the wall.

She felt Edward brush his hand gently over her hair and she huffed again.

"Don't fight me on this, please. I want to do this." He whispered as he pressed his soft lips to her temple.

"Kay", Bella said as she sniffed and wiped a tear from the corner of her nose.

Edward cupped her cheek and turned her face towards him, holding her still until she lifted her eyes, "You are going to be okay, Bella. I promise you. I know that you are hurting, but it will get better love. I don't want you to worry about anything. Do you trust me?"

Bella nodded, "Good. Do you believe that I am your friend?"

Bella nodded again, "Good, because friends look after friends, okay?"

Bella looked into Edward's eyes and what she saw there, made her feel as if there was molten lava in her chest. She didn't understand the emotion that she saw, but something inside of her recognized it and she felt like her heart was going to leap out of her chest.

The intense green in his eyes was pulling her in and it was only when her lungs were about to explode that Bella realized that she had forgotten to breathe. She took a shaky breath and gave him a quick nod, "Okay."

Edward stood up and Bella was rewarded with his croaked smile. She looked over Edward's shoulder to see Kebi looking at them in amusement.

"Come along _mon bel enchanteur,_" She said with a smile.

Edward chuckled and shook his head, "Kebi, you wound me!"

Bella looked from one to the other, "What did you say?"

Kebi winked at her, "Remind me to tell you later, _mon petit_."

Kebi flicked off the overhead lights and the room was bathed in the soft sconce lighting from above the bed. With the door closed, the sounds of the emergency room defused into a background white noise.

Bella sighed.

She turned over onto her back and she slowly put her hands onto her chest. Her heart was hurting. Physically hurting.

Bella let out a shaky sigh and her hands trembled slightly as she ran them down her body until they closed over the warm pad.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry that I didn't get to see you. Can you tell my father that I say 'hello'?" the last word tumbled from her mouth as she let out a long keening sound, followed by loud, raking sobs.

She felt so – empty inside. She knew that it was silly when she hadn't even been showing, but the baby inside of her had been her sole motivation to make a life for herself. She had wanted to have someone to love and take care of.

This baby was going to be her family. She wanted to be a part of a family, to have someone to love and hug and kiss. Someone who would care for her and now it was gone and she was alone once more.

The young nurse that had been assigned to monitor Bella hesitated outside the door. After a moment she decided to leave the young woman alone with her grief.

=====HS=====

Edward and Kebi settled onto the sofa in the doctors' lounge. Edward kept fiddling with his phone as Kebi fixed their coffee.

Kebi noticed that Edward looked as if he was going to run out of the room any second.

"Calm down, Edward, she is fine, and Katy is one of our most compassionate and competent nurses. She will make sure that Bella is comfortable. Bella needs time alone to come to terms with what has happened."

Edward ran his hands over his face as he pitched himself forward, "God! I can't believe this is even happening, Kebi. I thought we were friends! Why the hell wouldn't she tell me something as monumental as this?"

Kebi could hear the hurt and anger in his voice. Edward cared more for this girl than Kebi had first perceived. She wondered if he was even aware how much Bella Swan meant to him. By the look of anger in his eyes, she doubted it.

Kebi sat down next to Edward and handed him the coffee mug. "Edward, Bella told me a little of her history and even though I can't discuss what we talked about, I can tell you that she has never trusted another person the way that she trusts you. As your friend, I'm telling you to go easy on her."

Edward briefly closed his eyes before he let out a breath and sat up a little straighter. There was still pain and latent anger in his eyes, but there was determination as well.

He looked at Kebi and nodded, "I'll be there for her, and I can wait – I will wait for her to come to me."

He nodded to himself as he looked of the window into the dark night, "I will wait as long as she needs me to." He said softly.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while and then Kebi excused herself to go and check on another patient.

Edward looked down at his phone and saw that he had several missed calls from his family. He was shocked to see that it was almost one a.m.

He dialed Emmett's number and wasn't surprised when his brother answered on the first ring.

"_Edward! Thank God, everyone is going crazy here. I'm putting you on speaker because Jas and Alice are here as well."_

_Edward greeted everyone somberly and then he gave them a brief account of the evening's events._

_No one commented when he announced that he was taking Bella home with him._

"_Edward, I know that you won't betray Bella's confidence, but I must ask you if this pregnancy was her choice." Edward closed his eyes. This was his greatest fear._

"_I don't know Jasper. We haven't really had a chance to talk, you know. Look I need to get back to her; I just wanted you to know that we should be heading home soon. Alice; Bella is worrying about her job, so I was wondering if you could come over tomorrow, just so that you can let her know that she has nothing to worry about?"_

"_Of course. Rosie and I will bring some meals over so that you two don't have to worry about that. We will bring some clothes and toiletries over for her." Alice assured him._

"_Um, listen, her bedroom is a mess, there was blood everywhere-" he said quietly._

_Rosalie surprised him by responding immediately, "No worries, Edward, we will take care of it and anything else that needs cleaning. Her room will be pristine again."_

"_Thanks, also, Em, I haven't phoned Mom and Dad. I don't want them racing back home when there is nothing that they can do. Do you think that you…"_

"_You don't have to say another word, Little Brother. I'll call Dad in the morning, but I will be sure to tell them not to come home before Sunday. Are you going to take some time off?"_

"_Bella will need me at home for the next several days, perhaps a week, so Dad's going to have to take over for me."_

"_No problem, I'll let him know. You just call if either of you need anything, you hear?" Edward was touched by the obvious concern of his family._

"_Thanks you guys."_

"_Phone me when you get home, okay?" _

_Edward smiled, "Yes, 'daddy' Jasper."_

He said goodbye and disconnected the call.

He felt better for having spoken to his brothers. No matter what was going on in his life, they were always there for him. He thought about Bella and how he would feel to go through something like a miscarriage or a similar loss and to not have anyone there to support him.

Just the thought made him feel empty. He remembered back to his darkest moment – he had gone home because he knew that no matter how hard he fell, his family would be there to pick him up and help him put the pieces back together.

_I want to do that for Bella. I want to be there for her – no matter what_.

He hurried back to Bella's room, to find that Doctor Malek had given Bella a pair of scrub pants to put on and Edward remembered that she had only been wearing a thin T-shirt when he had picked her up in her room. Her jeans and shoes were in the car, but he knew that her stomach had to be tender and the soft fabric of the scrubs would be better than tight denim.

Bella was sitting on the side of the bed staring down at her hands.

She looked so small and forlorn that Edward immediately rushed to her side.

"Are you ready, love?" he asked her.

Bella let out a long sad sigh and nodded, "Yep, we can go soon. They did another scan and everything is over. There's nothing there." Her voice caught on the last word but she shook her head as if to clear it before she carried on talking, "Dr. Malek has arranged to have my prescription filled here to save me some money." Bella looked up at him and Edward almost cringed at the empty, dull look in her eyes.

Edward uttered an exclamation before he put his arms around her and pulled her against him.

Bella felt as if she was drifting until her arms went around Edward's waist and she felt his hard, warm body against hers.

Kebi opened the door only to see the couple holding each other. Edward had tucked Bella's head beneath his chin and he was swaying gently, rocking her as he hummed a quiet tune.

"Edward," he turned to look at her, "you can take Bella home now. I will call you tomorrow to set up an appointment for Tuesday."

Edward nodded and he held Bella around her waist as he took the bag of medication from her, "I don't know how to thank you, Kebi." He began but she held up her hand, "I am here for you and Bella. Call me if you need me at any time. Good night Bella, get some rest."

Edward insisted that Bella sit in a wheelchair and he pushed her out to his truck.

The evidence of their early dash lay in the back seat of the car and Edward quickly tossed the blanket that he had used into the bed of the truck. He picked Bella up and put her in the front seat at her insistence. She didn't want to lie down.

He reclined her seat and strapped her into her seat belt before he ran around and got into the driver's side.

He looked at her before he started the car, "Are you comfortable?"

"Yeah, they gave me another pain killer before I got dressed so I'm feeling very little pain right now."

The drive back to Hope Springs was quiet. Bella had fallen into an uneasy slumber shortly after they left Woodstock.

Edward pulled into his driveway and stopped the car. Emmett's hummer was parked in front of his house.

He walked around and picked Bella up and grabbed her bag of medicine before he pushed the door closed and walked up his front steps.

Bella weighed next to nothing and he opened his door to find Rosalie waiting in the small foyer.

"Hi." She said quietly.

Edward smiled at her.

"I've made up the room opposite to yours, just in case she needs you in the middle of the night."

"How did you get in?"

Rosalie smiled, "Mrs. Cope phoned Emmett. You left your front door wide open and Roscoe was running around outside."

"Shit! She is afraid of dogs! What am I going to do?" Edward shifted Bella in his arms and pulled her closer to his body.

"Put her to bed first"

Edward walked up the stairs and he walked into the first room on his right. Esme had helped him to decorate this room into a peaceful guest bedroom. It was furnished in dark wood furniture with cream and forest green linens and accents. The curtains were a darker green. Edward noticed that Rosalie had opened the bed and she had put a mattress protector sheet over the cotton sheet with another lined disposable sheet over that. He put Bella onto the mattress and gently pulled the blankets over her small frame. Bella whimpered and he saw that Rosalie had put an old fashioned hot water bottle on the side table. He tucked it against her abdomen and Bella immediately curled around it.

Edward left the hall light on and left her door open. As he stepped into the hallway Rosalie held out the receiver of a baby monitor.

"This way you will hear her if she wakes up."

"Thanks Sis."

"I remember how Emmett didn't sleep when I was in Bella's shoes."

Edward hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "I had forgotten that you had a miscarriage in between pregnancies, Rosie. This must be bringing up some painful memories."

Rose nodded as she pulled away from him. "Come on, I've made some chamomile tea and I brought you some soup, on your father's instructions." She said as they walked downstairs.

Emmett walked out of the den and silently hugged his brother. "How is she?"

Edward nodded, "She's broken right now, but she is sleeping."

"Sleep is good." Emmett said as he pointed to the counter where a steaming bowl of soup was waiting.

"Dad phoned," Emmett said.

"How did he find out?" Edward asked as they sat down. Roscoe was asleep on his sheepskin bed in the corner and he opened his eyes in disapproval of his disturbed sleep.

"Amun called him earlier, but he and mom were out and they only got back to the hotel around one thirty. He called me straight away. You can imagine, Esme was going nuts, wanting to come home, crying, the whole nine yards. Anyway, I told them everything that we knew and I made them promise that they wouldn't come home earlier because it would just make Bella feel guilty. But you have to call your mother and father in the morning!" Emmett wagged his finger at Edward.

Edward nodded as he quickly finished the soup. "Where are the kids?"

"Jas and Alice stayed over at our place. We should be going home; we will speak tomorrow, yeah?" Emmett said as he stood up.

"Yeah, hey Rosie, could you bring one of those doggie gates for me tomorrow? I don't want Roscoe going into Bella's room and scaring her, she is petrified of him."

Rosalie nodded, "Sure, I'll pick one up at the surgery."

She leaned down and kissed Edward's cheek, "You get some sleep, we will let ourselves out, Honey."

Emmett patted Edward's shoulder, "If you need us, call, okay?"

"Thanks Em."

Edward put his bowl and cup in the sink and leaned down to scratch Roscoe's head, "Listen, you need to be a good boy for the next few days, okay? We need to show Bella that you aren't all that scary. Can you do that for me, Boy, huh?"

Roscoe opened one eye and looked up at Edward, "Thanks, boy."

Edward switched the overhead lights off, but he left the light above the stove on, just in case. He took a bottle of water from his fridge and when he checked on Bella, she was awake.

She was turned on her side, facing the large bay window. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears.

Edward sat down on the bed next to her, "Hey, are you in pain?"

Bella gave him a half shrug, "Not really, it's uncomfortable and all, but that's about it. My throat is dry."

Edward helped Bella to sit up and she thirstily drank over half the cold water. She lay back against the headboard, and looked at her hands.

"I want to wash." She said.

Edward could see the dried blood around her nails, "Would you like to shower?"

"Isn't it too late? You must be tired."

Edward smiled and patted her knee, "You sit tight, I'm going to get you something to wear."

Bella opened the bag from Dr. Malek and she was relieved to see that the doctor had also packed a few multi packs of disposable panties as well as a large bag of maternity pads.

Edward walked back into the room and he put a black pair of boxers and a faded blue T-shirt with writing on it onto the bed.

"The boxers may be a bit big but you can roll them, the T-shirt is one of my shirts from school, come on, let me show you where everything is."

He walked across the room and switched a light on in the adjoining room.

Bella stood up slowly and walked into the bathroom.

"I will wait outside for you. If you need me, just shout, okay? Don't take too long or else I'm going to worry."

Bella washed her body and her hair. She dried herself with the green fluffy towel and dressed in the clothes that Edward had given her. The T-shirt hung to the middle of her thighs and she rolled the waistband of the boxers until they stayed up.

She noticed that there was a new toothbrush and used it before she opened the door.

Edward sat in the window seat and stood up as she walked into the room.

"Feel better now?"

Bella nodded.

"Okay, you can take some more meds if you want to."

"I'm good for now."

Edward ran his hand through his hair, suddenly feeling awkward.

Bella cleared her throat, "I think that I will be able to sleep now."

"Oh! Okay, yeah that sounds like a good idea, it's almost four."

Bella climbed into bed and Edward walked to the door.

"I'm right across the hall if you need me."

Bella nodded, "Thank you Edward. This is – thank you."

Edward smiled, "I'm glad that you called me."

"I didn't even think of calling anyone else, Edward. You are my friend."

"Good night Bella." He could keep the huge smile off his face.

"Night."

Edward pulled off his clothes and fell into bed in his boxers. He put the monitor on his bedside table and in the darkness he relaxed as he heard the soft snores.

=====HS=====

When Bella woke up the next day, the room was bright. She lay still for a moment wondering where she was before the events of the night came rushing back to her.

Her hands flew down to her stomach as tears filled her eyes and she rolled onto her back.

She felt a wave of sorrow wash over her and a sob rose in her throat as she began to cry.

She was alone. There was not going to be a baby for her to take care of and love.

Suddenly she felt the bed dip next to her and a slim hand brushed her tangled hair from her face and shoulders, "It's okay, Bella. It's going to be okay. We are here for you, honey."

Bella turned her head quickly and she stared at Rosalie who was sitting next to her.

"What? Rose! What are you doing here?" Bella asked in a shocked voice.

"I came to see how you were doing. You have been asleep for most of the day, which is good. Are you hungry?"

Bella struggled to sit up, wincing when her stomach muscles ached.

Rosalie helped her and Bella was surprised that the slim woman was so strong.

"I need the bathroom." Bella said.

Rose helped her to stand up and Bella used the bathroom and changed her pad. She could see that there was not much blood and she was relieved. She washed her swollen eyes and face before she raked her fingers through her tangled hair to try and straighten it. With a sigh Bella opened the door.

Rosalie had remade the bed and Bella saw a tray resting on a side table.

"Come on, back to bed with you, Missy! You need to eat some lunch."

Bella obeyed and Rose tucked the sheet and blankets around her legs and she placed the tray on her knees.

Bella saw that there was a bowl of sliced fruit, a sandwich and a small carton of yoghurt. A glass of juice and a cup of tea were on the bedside table.

Bella's stomach growled and Bella blushed as Rosalie laughed, "Well that settles that – now tuck in. Alice will be here shortly."

Bella began to eat and found that she was hungry. The sandwich was filled roast chicken, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and sprouts with a dressing over it. It was delicious and she finished everything on her plate before she took a long drink of her juice.

She looked up sheepishly as Rosalie was sprawled across the bottom of the bed, with her hand propped up on one arm. She was smiling at Bella in amusement.

"Sorry. I'm not usually such a pig." Bella said as she wiped her mouth with the paper napkin.

Rosalie laughed, "I'm just glad that you ate everything. It wouldn't do if you were going to go on a hunger strike or something. When I had my miscarriage, Emmett and Esme had to virtually force feed me and it was only when Carlisle threatened to put me onto a drip that I got my head out of my ass and began to function again. Jed was only a few months old when it happened."

Bella stared at the woman in shock. She would never have suspected that Rosalie was carrying that secret. She looked so put together that Bella couldn't imagine her to be anything other than perfect.

"You?" Bella said.

Rose nodded and she sat up, "Me. Emmett was amazing. He was absolutely tireless as he took care of our baby and me. I was almost catatonic, I was so grief stricken."

"What did you do?" Bella asked as her eyes filled with unshed tears.

Rosalie put her hand over Bella's. "I began to function one task at a time. At first it was slow and painful and then I could go through the morning and then the day and I realized that this wasn't my fault. Our family was a godsend. I learned to lean on them and our friends and the people in our church. One day, I decided that I was ready to try again and we made Emma."

"Bella, I don't know what has happened to you or why you had a miscarriage. I don't know why I had one healthy baby and then miscarried the next one only to be blessed with another healthy child. I just want you to know that you are not alone anymore. We are all here for you. We want to be your friend, if you will let us." Rosalie watched as Bella wiped the unhindered tears from her cheeks as she took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"It's okay to be sad. Your baby died and it's okay to be sad, Bella? You don't have to be so independent and strong."

As she said this, Rosalie held out her arms and Bella threw herself across the bed, the tray all but forgotten as the older woman cradled the younger one in her arms as she wailed and cried for the baby that she would never know.

Eventually Bella cried herself to sleep and Rosalie took the tray and went downstairs.

Emmett and Edward had gone for a run in the park. Roscoe was thrilled to be outside with his master and friend and her ran circles around their feet as they walked back towards the house.

Edward was telling Emmett about how he kept waking up during the night and morning to check on Bella.

"You like her." Emmett said.

Edward looked at his older brother as shook his head, "Not like that! Damn Emmett, she's almost the same age as Bree!"

Emmett burst out laughing, "Who are you trying to kid? She is not the same age as Bree, she is eighteen, and you like her!"

Edward growled and punched Emmett's arm, but Emmett danced away laughing, "You like her! You like her!"

Edward stopped walking and glared at him, "You are acting like a fucking four year old! Grow up Emmett! Bella and I are friends! That's it! Jesus, she lost a fucking baby that I didn't even know she was carrying, so no, okay, just – no. She is not looking for that with me. We are just friends."

Emmett stopped moving around and stared at his baby brother. He could see that Edward was upset and hurt by the fact that Bella had been pregnant and that she hadn't shared that with him.

He sighed and nodded, "Relax, bro, I was just teasing you. I'm sorry. You know Edward; it's okay to let yourself like her. She is an amazing woman and she has gone through so much in her short life that her age and your age shouldn't be a factor at all. I know that this isn't the time for the two of you, but if you like her and if she is worth it – then wait for the right time. Wait for her."

Edward sighed and he rubbed the back of his neck as he stared out across the park. "I feel – protective over her. She makes me so mad sometimes that I want to throttle her and then at other times she is just so darn cute, that I just want to hug her and kiss the shit out of her, you know. But I don't know if Bella will ever be ready for a relationship and what the hell do I know about relationships, Em? The last girl that I was involved with turned out to be a cokehead and a heroin addict that couldn't stop and who died in my fucking arms! The thing is that I wasn't that invested in Jenna. She was just someone that I screwed when I got high."

The two brothers looked at each other, "Edward, you have kept yourself in such tight control that you don't know how to let someone else in and I know that Jasper is the head guy but I think that it's time you take a chance. You don't have to jump into anything now, just don't fight it."

Edward blew his breath out forcefully and nodded, "Okay."

Emmett grinned and put his hand on Edward's shoulder, "That's my baby brother! Come on it looks as if Jas and Alice have arrived."

Edward frowned, "I don't want Bella to get overwhelmed by company."

"Relax, Jas and I are taking you to Alistair's for a pub dinner and a couple of drinks, while the girls are going to pamper Bella and put in some girl time."

As soon as Edward greeted Jasper and Alice, he chatted with Rosalie who was in the kitchen before he headed upstairs.

Bella was sleeping and he could see the dried tears on her pale cheeks.

He quickly had a shower and dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a button down shirt and his bikers boots.

Edward's heart beat a little faster when he heard Bella whimper and he hurried to her room.

Bella was sitting up and pushing her hair out of her eyes.

She smiled when she saw him and Edward saw her appraise him from head to toe before she looked at his face and she blushed as she met his eyes.

"Hi." He said as he walked across the room and he put the bedside light on.

"Hi. I was wondering where you were earlier."

"I went for a run with Emmett. How are you feeling?"

Bella shrugged, "Okay I guess. I can't believe that I slept the day away. I haven't ever slept so much in my life. Sit with me."

Edward sat down next to her and his fingers closed over hers where it lay on the bed covers.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't here, but I hope that it was okay that Rosalie was here. She wanted to see you."

Bella smiled, "I'm glad that she was, she told me about what she went through."

Edward nodded and suddenly the air was thick with tension.

Edward began to get up, but Bella's hand tightened on his, "Edward, I know that I should have told you, but I was scared. Can we talk about it, please? I don't want you to be mad at me."

She swallowed and stared at Edward with such vulnerability that he felt himself melting under her warm chocolate eyes.

"Bella… I want to talk about it as well, but I don't want to push you. There is no rush. I'm not going anywhere, I'll be right here with you love, I promise. I will be here whenever you are ready. I am not angry with you, I'm just glad that you are okay." He said softly as he tucked a curl of her lanky hair behind her ear.

"You aren't mad at me?" Bella said as she licked her dry lips.

Edward shook his head, "I'm not mad. I am puzzled and confused but we have time."

Bella nodded, "We have time."

They jumped apart guiltily at the sound of a snigger and a clearing throat. Rosalie and Alice stood in the doorway smiling at them and Edward scrambled off the bed, almost falling on his ass, "Okay! So, I'm going to go with Jas and Em to Alistair's. Rose and Alice are going to make you some dinner and stuff and I'll see you later."

Bella was struck by how disappointed she felt that he was leaving, but she said nothing and smiled at him, "Have fun, I'll see you later."

Edward stared at her for a moment longer before he walked to her doorway and looked at his sisters-in-law with narrowed eyes, "Don't overtire her and make sure that she takes her meds and that she has plenty to drink and…"

"Just go already!" Rosalie and Alice said together as they pushed him out into the hallway and quickly closed the door behind him.

Bella giggled in spite of herself. They looked like two naughty children who were up to no good.

"Hey Bells." Alice said as she walked across the room.

"Um, Hi? What are you two up to and what's with the name 'Bells'?" Bella looked between Alice and Rosalie.

Alice laughed, "Well, I could always call you 'my Belle' but I figure that that is Brady's name for you. And what we are up to is we are having a girls night."

Bella put her hand up to her tangled hair, "A girls night? What the hell is a 'girls night' and why do I feel scared?"

Rosalie laughed and she sat on the other side of the bed from Alice, "A girls night is the best thing ever. Alice brought over all of the supplies that are need. But first off; are you hungry?"

Bella pursed her lips, "Yeah I am actually."

"Great! Sit tight, I will be right back!"

Alice stood up and put the overhead chandelier light on and she walked over to close the curtains.

"Alice?"

Alice turned around as Bella was getting out of bed, "I, um, well, Doctor Malek has told me that I have to stay in bed for the next three days and then I'm supposed to take it easy, but I thought that I should be fine to come into work by Wednesday at the latest. You know," Bella began as she twisted her fingers nervously.

Alice was shaking her head and she had a rather fierce expression on her face as she pushed her fists into her waist and tapped her foot.

"No, no, no! Absolutely not! Bella Swan" Alice began but Bella interrupted her

"Please, Alice, I'm sorry that I lied about the baby, but I really need this job! Jacob is fixing my car and I have to pay him! I promise that I will do better, please don't let me go!" Bella said anxiously as her eyes filled with tears.

Alice was across the room and had put her hands onto Bella's shoulders, "Bella! Hey! I wasn't going to fire you!"

Bella stopped her babbling, "You weren't?"

Alice shook her head, "No! Of course not! You work for us and your job is completely secure. I promise you. If you read your contract, you will see that you get ten days sick leave, fully paid so there is nothing that you have to worry about. Now, I have spoken to Esme and I will bring the laptop over sometime next week so that as soon as you feel up to it, you can begin putting the stock onto our inventory program. That way, you are still working but it will be at your own pace, okay?"

Bella felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders, "Thank you. Was Esme mad at me?"

Alice sighed, "Bella, no one is mad at you. We are worried and concerned about you, but none of us is angry."

"Not even Jasper and Emmett?"

"Especially not Jasper and Emmett. Now do you need anything before you eat?"

"I need to use the bathroom."

Alice turned her in the direction of the bathroom. "Oh, and Bella?"

Bella turned, "Nice outfit!"

Bella gave a slight smile before she closed the door.

When she came into her room, her dinner was waiting for her. The bed had been made up with fresh sheets, green and white floral and Bella's stomach rumbled as she smelled the delicious smells coming from the tray that was on a small table that had been placed in front of the bay window.

"Come and sit down here," Rosalie pointed to the window seat.

Alice carried in a second chair and the three women sat down and were soon eating succulent roast chicken, roast potatoes and steamed vegetables with a light cheese sauce over them.

"This is good!" Bella said between bites. She took a sip of her juice and smiled, "This is delicious, what is it?"

"Oh that's some of Bluebonnets 'summer blend' which is a blend of all of the seasonal summer fruits and some vegetables."

Bella licked her lips, "Well it's great."

"Collin and Brady usually come up with some great flavors, although there have been some misses." Rosalie said with a laugh.

"Remember the beetroot and watermelon blend?" Alice laughed and both women wrinkled their noses.

They kept the conversation flowing and kept Bella entertained with stories of some of Bluebonnets mishaps.

Once dinner was over, Rosalie held out Bella's pills. She decided not to take a pain killer because she wasn't in pain, but she took the multivitamins, antibiotic and the tonic, while Alice and Rosalie took their plates downstairs.

When they came back, they looked excited as they stared expectantly at Bella.

"What?"

"Okay, well you are going to go and have a long and luxurious shower. I have brought you some shampoo and conditioner and some real shower gel, not that stuff that Esme put in there." Alice said as she held out a strawberry flavored shampoo and conditioner and a similar perfumed body wash.

Bella took them from her with a quiet thank you.

Rosalie stopped her as she was about to walk into the bathroom.

"Ali and I bought you a couple of pairs of sleep shorts, some long sleep pants and tank tops to go with them. There is also a light robe and a pair of slippers, and some new underwear when you finished using the disposables. There are some lighter sanitary towels and some other essentials as well because you can't use tampons."

Bella looked from one to the other and they could see her getting worked up, "Bella, this is not charity; this is just two friends doing something nice for another friend. This is what we do. If it was me or should I say, _when_ it was me, the entire town came out and cooked for months for Emmett and I. This is just who we are, so please don't take offense." Rosalie said quietly as she held out a bundle of clothes.

Bella looked down at her hand and then back at her. She could feel her eyes beginning to fill with tears which she forced back by blinking quickly, "Thank you. I mean that. I know that I don't seem grateful but I am. I've never had people care for me like this."

Alice was smiling, "Well get used to it and brace yourself for when 'Mama Cullen' gets home, now scoot! We are painting our nails when you are finished."

Bella loved her new shampoo and body wash. When she put a pad onto the disposable panties she noticed that there was not much blood at all.

Bella chose a pair of pale blue sleep shorts in a cotton fabric with a blue and white tank top. The material was soft and smelled like fresh air and lemons.

Bella smiled at her reflection as she brushed her teeth and hung her towels up.

The table by the bay window was now covered in at least fifty small bottles of nail varnish. There was also a bowl of water, towels, creams, and plastic on the floor.

Alice rubbed her hands and she caught sight of Bella.

"Much better than Edward's clothes, now come and sit here. I'm doing hair and Rose is doing nails, come on!"

=====HS=====

When Edward, Jasper and Emmett arrived back at the house three hours later, they found Rosalie and Alice sitting in the den, watching a movie as they sipped glasses of white wine. Roscoe was curled at their feet.

"Where's Bella?" he asked, looking up the stairs.

"She's sleeping." Alice said holding up the baby monitor.

"Did you tire her out?"

Alice chuckled, "Of course! But before you get your panties in a twist, she had fun. Seriously, it was good for her, Edward. She even accepted our gifts without a fuss."

Edward thanked them for taking care of Bella and they all left to get their children from Angela and Eric, who had volunteered to look after them for the day.

Edward sat down and Roscoe put his head on his knee, "I know that you want to make friends, but we have to go really slow, Boy. She needs to get used to being in the same house with you first. So lets be patient." He sat stroking roscoe's soft ears for a while before he locked up and walked upstairs.

He walked into his room and he got undressed and put on a pair of grey sleep pants and a T-shirt before he padded across the hall and stuck his head into Bella's room.

He saw that her bed was empty and opened the door wider when Bella stepped out of the dark bathroom.

Edward felt as if he had been hit by a truck.

Bella was dressed in some sort of shorts and top. Her hair was shining in the dim light. It hung around her shoulders in loose curls. Her legs were long and lean, and she reminded Edward of a young colt more than ever, but her slim, lithe body was definitely all woman, with breasts that were small but pert, her neck was graceful.

His felt his dick twitching and he groaned quietly.

Bella turned and saw Edward standing in the hallway, leaning against her door, "Hi!" she said.

Edward smiled and he quickly adjusted himself as discreetly as possible before he walked into the room that was only lit by the light at the side of the bed.

"Hi. How are you? Did you survive 'hurricane Alice and Rosalie'?"

Bella laughed as she climbed into her bed and sat back against the pillows.

"Yeah, actually I had a good time. I've never done anything like that before but it was fun."

Bella patted the space next to her, and Edward sat down carefully.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

She rolled her eyes again, "Really? I slept for almost eighteen hours today, Edward. I am definitely not tired. Well, I am but not enough to sleep. How about you? Aren't you tired?"

Edward shook his head, "A bit, but I'm used to not getting regular sleep. I can make do with a few hours."

They were quiet for a few minutes before Bella spoke up again, "Will you, um, will you lie with me for a bit?"

Edward frowned, "I don't think that is a good idea, Bella."

Bella nodded, but her face fell in disappointment, "Oh! Okay, I understand."

"No, Bella, I didn't mean it like that."

"You don't have to explain."

"I want to. It's not that I don't want to stay with you, but you are feeling very vulnerable right now and I don't want to take advantage of that. I don't want to do anything that will scare you or that you will regret." He said quietly.

Bella looked at him with some amusement, "Jeez Edward, lighten up! I wasn't proposing marriage; I just want to talk with my friend!"

Edward felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment, "Oh! Of course not! I knew that! Marriage! That's a good one! Ha! Funny girl! Okay, I'll lie with you for a while."

Bella snorted as she rolled her eyes, "Just get in the damn bed, Doctor Cullen!"

So they lay in the dark and Bella told Edward about Tyler and about her life with the Rawlings. She talked for hours and somehow she ended up with her head on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.

She told him about falling pregnant. Edward wanted to find Tyler Crowley so that he could beat the shit out of him. She told him about her plans to go to Canada to make a life for herself and her baby.

When she was finished and her eyes were closing, she felt Edward's lips on her forehead as he whispered one word to her.

"Stay."

**A/N: I need to say that I have never had an abortion or had a miscarriage so I had to do some research on the subject. The stories that I read broke my heart. I hope that I have been able to do justice to this scene.**

_***Mercy Hospital is a figment of my imagination! There is no Mercy Hospital in Woodstock, Vermont.**_


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 9…**_

_**So they lay in the dark and Bella told Edward about Tyler and about her life with the Rawlings. She talked for hours and somehow she ended up with her head on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.**_

_**She told him about falling pregnant. Edward wanted to find Tyler Crowley so that he could beat the shit out of him. She told him about her plans to go to Canada to make a life for herself and her baby.**_

_**When she was finished and her eyes were closing, she felt Edward's lips on her forehead as he whispered one word to her.**_

"_**Stay."**_

**CHAPTER 10 – NEW BEGINNINGS AND FIRST DATES**

The next few days were spent quietly. Bella felt better every day but she still slept a lot and she had moments when she would just begin crying for no reason. When that happened, Edward would pull her into his arms and he would cradle her against his chest.

He had driven her to see Kebi on Tuesday morning. After an examination followed by a scan, Kebi had told Bella that she was healing well and that she didn't expect any residual complications.

They discussed birth control and even though Bella told Kebi that she didn't think that she would be having sex within the foreseeable future, Kebi had given Bella six months' supply of contraceptive pills from Mercy's Woman's Clinic. She asked Bella to make an appointment to see her in six months time for another follow up visit.

When Bella asked about her bill, Kebi said that Bluebonnet Farm had covered the debt. Bella wasn't happy until Edward explained that the company provided medical insurance for all of their staff.

When Bella woke up on Wednesday morning, she was not surprised to see Roscoe lying in her doorway. This was another new and surprising development. He had begun sleeping in her doorway on Sunday. He never intruded or tried to enter her room, but he seemed content to sleep where he could see her. The only time that he left her was when Edward would call him for his evening run and then Bella would watch them from the window seat that faced Dorset Park.

The first time Bella had opened her eyes and she had seen the dog, she had let out a blood curdling scream that had sent Edward racing up the stairs. After he had calmed her down, he had pointed out that Roscoe wanted to be near her. Edward told her that he was very sensitive to the pain of humans and he could sense if one of his 'charges' was sad, in pain, or ill.

Now she was used to his presence and she actually found comfort in him being there.

He didn't move, except to blink, stretch or sometimes roll over and once or twice he had made Bella chuckle at his antics. He would lie on his back and grin at her upside down, with his tongue dangling out of his mouth or he would bring some of his toys upstairs and Bella would chuckle when Edward would reprimand him for 'messing up the hallway' and then Roscoe would reluctantly take one or two back downstairs and he would put them in his basket, until Edward's back was turned and then he would bring two more upstairs, just like a mischievous toddler.

Bella had never known that a dog could be so intelligent. She had mentioned this to Rosalie when she phoned Bella on Tuesday afternoon. She knew that Rosalie was the local vet and Rosalie had stopped by that afternoon, while Edward went to the store with a book on dogs and particularly Australian Shepherds, which Bella read with great interest.

Roscoe's eyes looked gentle and warm – just like his owner, Bella thought.

"Where's Edward?" Bella asked the canine as she had for the last three days, and she smiled as he got to his feet and she heard him padding down the stairs.

A moment later she heard Edward's footsteps. He hurried into her room, "Good morning sleepy head. Your 'shadow' came to summon me."

She smiled as she sat up, "You are just jealous because your dog likes me better."

"He likes you better _when you are sleeping_; there is a difference!" he teased.

Bella started to get out of bed when she realized that her top had ridden up her stomach. She quickly pulled it down but not before Edward's eyes scorched her skin with his dark look.

"I am going to have a shower. Your mom is coming over today to bring her laptop and some work for me to do." Bella said awkwardly.

Edward frowned, "I think it's too soon for you to work."

Bella shook her head in frustration, "Stop saying that! We have had this argument before and I'm so over it! I have to work and I'm going crazy staying in bed all the time!"

Edward smirked, "Well, today is your lucky day, because you can sit outside for a bit and you are allowed to walk around the yard."

Bella huffed at him, "Well whoop dee doo! Great, so now I'll be the crazy girl who walks around in her robe! I'm going to shower."

Edward shook his head as Bella closed the door, "Oh goody, _little miss sunshine_ is in the house," he mumbled to himself as he turned to strip her bed. He quickly made the bed up with fresh linens and he threw everything down the stairs.

Roscoe watched him from the doorway, his brown eyebrows twitching in amusement, Edward glared at him, "You deal with her snappiness and see how you like it!"

He went to fetch the bags that Alice had dropped off that morning. She said that it was clothing that Bella had bought the week before as well as some other things.

Edward put the bags onto her bed and left her room, closing the door behind him and calling Roscoe to follow him, just as he heard the water turn off.

He was in the kitchen frying eggs when Bella came downstairs and stood behind him. She bit her lip, _shit!_ She hated apologizing and it seemed that it was all she did around Edward Cullen! Bella took a deep breath before she spoke quietly, "I'm sorry that I am such an ungrateful bitch."

Edward smiled as he took the pan off the hot stove and he slid the perfectly fried eggs onto the waiting plates. He took the crispy bacon from the oven. He knew that Bella did not like to apologize for anything and it warmed his heart that she was willing to put herself out there for him. He turned around with the plates in his hands.

"Well, I'm sorry that I am such a chauvinist pig. Now seeing as you are here, can you get the juice out of the fridge and pour us some coffee?"

Their eyes met and they smiled at each other.

They ate breakfast in comfortable silence as they each read a section of the newspaper. Every now and again one of them would comment on an article.

Edward had begun the ritual on Sunday morning when he had brought breakfast up to Bella and he had found her at the little table at the window. Bella had squealed when she saw the newspaper under his arm.

She missed reading and was sad that her books were still in her room. She had devoured the book that Rose had brought her and had already read it once. She hadn't wanted to ask anyone to go to her room, because although her memory was hazy, she kind of remembered that her room had been a bloody mess when she had left it.

"Are you going to try and wrestle the paper from me?" he had asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bella laughed, "Can you share?"

"If I have to." Edward gave her an exaggerated pout, which made her roll her eyes, but it also made her heart beat a little faster.

_So fucking sexy!_

They had spent the next hour eating breakfast and sharing the paper and a new morning ritual was begun.

=====HS=====

"You look pretty this morning. New clothes?" Edward asked as he cast a sideways glance at Bella. She did look pretty. She was wearing a little sun dress with flowers on it. The blue of the material looked good against her skin. Edward had to force himself to keep his eyes off her legs all the way through breakfast. Her hair was loose and had dried into soft wavy curls.

Bella blushed with pleasure, "Thanks; it's new. I bought it from Alice."

Edward nodded but didn't comment, although he was silently wondering and hoping that she had more dresses like that in the bags from Alice.

"When did Alice bring the clothes over?" Bella asked as she passed a rinsed plate to Edward to load into the dishwasher.

"This morning, she was running late for work." He said.

Bella rolled her eyes, "You mean that she was afraid that I would take her head off for bringing me more new clothes."

"Well, you haven't been in the most stable mood over the last couple of days."

Bella splashed a little water in his direction, "Are you saying that I am bat shit crazy?"

"In my professional opinion?" he pretended to think about it for a minute but ended up smiling.

"You are so silly." Bella laughed.

Edward smiled as he added washing powder to the dishwasher and started the cycle.

Bella watched him carefully so that she could do it next time.

A buzzer sounded and Edward looked up, "That's the washer. Do you have anything to be washed? I've finished the bedding so now its clothes."

Bella bit her lip, "I have a few things, are you sure that you don't mind?"

"Of course not, that's why I asked. Why don't you go and get your things while I start to sort my stuff."

Bella went upstairs and Edward noticed that she walked right past Roscoe when he was sleeping on his bed, without even flinching.

_Progress, at last!_

Edward nodded in approval, "Good boy." He said quietly.

Roscoe grinned with his tongue handing out the corner of his mouth and rolled onto his back.

Edward rolled his eyes as he walked into the laundry, "You are a regular Casanova!"

Bella tried not to squirm as she watched Edward sort her clothes into piles along with his jeans, T-shirts, boxers, button downs, and socks.

He showed her how to use the washer and then he transferred their sheets to the basket.

"I like to hang the laundry outside if the weather is right. It is just a waste of electricity to put them in the drier, when you can't beat the smell of fresh air. Come on, I'll show you where the wash lines are."

Bella followed Edward to the back door. He called Roscoe, quickly responded and joined them. At Edward's command he stood behind his master, giving Bella a wide birth.

"Wow, this is great!" she said as they walked through the 'mud room'.

The back garden was a large rectangle that was more like the meadow at his parents' home. Bella was surprised. She would have thought that Edward would have a perfectly manicured lawn, with formally set out flowerbeds, but instead, Edward had deliberately kept the style informal and slightly rustic. Clusters of flowers grew in irregular flower beds where herbs grew alongside them in perfect harmony.

There was an arbor with a small water feature that looked like a natural waterfall that trickled into a rock pool. A hammock was strung between two tall birch trees. There was a seating area with a wooden table and chairs and a fire pit, and flowers of all colors and sorts tumbled out of old wine barrels.

"Roscoe likes it. The wash lines are over here around the side."

Bella sat on the wooden porch swing that had been placed under the arbor as she watched Edward hang up the sheets while Roscoe darted around the yard. He loved to play fetch and Bella laughed as he brought Edward an assortment of balls. At first Edward told him to wait – that he was busy but as the pile of balls mounted Bella could see Edward smiling as his resolve weakened.

"You might as well give in now, Cullen. You know that you are going to in any case!" she said.

Finally Roscoe lay down at Edward's feet and whimpered softly.

So, in between hanging up the laundry Edward threw Roscoe's balls for him. Only once did Roscoe break the pattern. He brought a tennis ball and dropped it at Bella's feet. He looked at her with his gentle brown eyes and sat back.

"He thinks that you need a turn to play with him. As far as Ross is concerned it is an honor for us humans to be allowed the privilege of playing with him. Roscoe, come here boy! Bella can't throw the ball today!" After a long look at Bella, Roscoe picked up his ball and he walked over to where Edward was waiting.

_There was something very sexy about a man doing domestic chores_, Bella told herself to excuse the warm feeling that she had in the pit of her stomach as she watched his T-shirt ride up his stomach to expose his taught abdominal muscles and that amazing 'V' that was formed by his hips as he stretched the sheet over the wash line. Bella swallowed embarrassingly loudly as she watched the tight muscles in his back and arms flex as he threw the ball again.

Bella sighed, _fucking beautiful…_

Edward was very aware of Bella watching him. She looked lovely in her sundress. The thin straps over her shoulders and the hint of her nipples through the cotton told him that she wasn't wearing a bra and he knew that he would be taking _another shower_ when she lay down later in the day.

His water bill was going to be astronomical, but he didn't care, he felt like a fourteen year old who had just discovered Playboy.

He was used to being uncomfortable. He had woken up on Sunday morning with the worst case of blue balls with Bella's thigh thrown over his hips and his hand firmly clasping her delectable ass.

He had fallen out of the bed in his haste to get as far away from her as possible and when he had cum against his shower wall, he had bitten his fist to keep from shouting out loud. Now it was part of his daily ablutions. He told himself that it was just a physical response to having an attractive woman in his house wearing thin, semi see-through little shorts and stringy tops, nothing more.

Bella's toes were painted in a pretty pink color and he was tempted to kiss them when she lay on the sofa with her feet in his lap watching television in the evenings.

_Not fucking kinky at all, asshole!_

=====HS=====

Esme had arrived at Edward's house and when her knock was unanswered she tried the door and found it unlocked and made her way into the house. A quick perusal told her that they were not inside and she spotted Bella through the kitchen window.

Esme stood in the shadow of the back door and watched the two young adults exchanging furtive glances and she smiled to herself.

She had resisted hurrying over on Monday morning when she and Carlisle had arrived home. Their weekend in the city had been marred by the news that Bella had miscarried a baby that no one knew she was having. Esme had suspected something of the sort from time to time, but she had dismissed it when Bella had not said anything to her. She felt so terribly guilty as she had wondered if she could have prevented the miscarriage if only she had taken Bella to see a doctor. Carlisle had spoken to Kebi on Esme's insistence and she had assured him that it did not seem as if there was any logical reason for the miscarriage, except for 'nature taking care of things." Esme felt better but she was still heart sore that Bella had to suffer through such a painful event.

She had gone around to Bella's room on her way over and she had found the room spotlessly clean. Apparently Alice and Rosalie had spent Saturday morning, cleaning her room and bathroom. Esme had noticed the two books on the bedside table and she had brought them with her.

Carlisle was sad that he had found out Bella's secret in the way that he did. He had spoken to Edward on Saturday to get an update on Bella's condition and he could hear how Bella's secret pregnancy and miscarriage had taken its toll on his son. He had been the one to phone Jasper, to ask him to arrange some 'alone' time for Edward to unwind with his brothers and to give him the opportunity to talk to them if he wanted to.

The only thing that stopped Esme from insisting that they come home was when Rosalie and Alice had phoned her and they told her about their visit with Bella and how much better she seemed to be.

Well, that and the way that Alice and Rosalie had described how well Edward had been taking care of Bella. Esme was not surprised but she was thrilled at how protective and tender he was with her. Esme knew that those were traits that all of the Cullen men displayed, especially around their partners, but Esme knew that Edward didn't even realize what he felt for Bella yet. She admitted to Carlisle that she was a little concerned how he would react when he did realize the magnitude of his feelings for the girl. Carlisle had not commented but Esme had seen the flicker of concern in his eyes.

Esme decided to make her presence known and she banged the screen door loudly and called out, "Hey kids!"

Bella was pulled out of her lust filled daydream in which she pulled that thin shirt off Edward's shoulders and she licked the small path of fine hair that ran into his jeans. She jumped guiltily and felt her face burn.

_Licked? _

Her face burned at the thought and she ducked her head as she stood up and walked over to meet Esme.

Edward caught his mother's amused, all knowing look and he glowered at her before he pegged the last pillow case in place before he picked up the basket and walked back to where she stood. He kissed her upturned cheek.

"Hey Ma, I'm surprised that you were able to stay away so long – I'm impressed." He said with a smirk.

Esme narrowed her eyes at him, "I can still box your ears, Edward Anthony, so watch your sass." She turned and smiled at Bella, "Hello darling, how are you feeling?"

Edward blinked at the whiplash worthy change in his mother's tone as she reached forward and pulled Bella into her arms.

"How is Edward treating you? Is he feeding you enough? He doesn't seem to be feeding you enough. Edward, what…"

Edward put his hand on Bella's shoulder and he felt how she leaned back into his touch slightly as if she was craving his touch.

The small gesture gave him confidence and he pulled her against him as he held up his other hand, "Mom! Take a breath and give Bella a chance to answer you? Let's go inside, Bella still needs to rest. Today is her first day out of bed." Edward said firmly as he gave his mother a pointed look.

Esme walked inside and when Edward and Bella walked into the kitchen, Bella gasped but Edward was not surprised by the boxes of fresh produce, bottled juice as well as several plastic dishes.

"Take a seat, love," Edward said as her gently pushed Bella in the direction of the sectional sofa in the sitting room.

Bella did as instructed while Esme and Edward chatted quietly as they unloaded all of the food into his oversized double door fridge/freezer and his pantry.

After the kettle whistled on the stove, Esme made a pot of tea and she put everything on a tray and carried it over to Bella.

Esme sat down next to Bella, "I made us some tea, and Rachel sent you some fresh muffins. She sends her love, by the way and she says that she misses seeing you. Makenna also sends her love and Jessica and Mike said that they will send over some dinner for the two of you this evening and you are to phone them if you feel like anything in particular." Esme said as she busied herself with pouring the tea and putting a spinach and cheese muffin onto a plate with a pat of butter.

"I stopped by your room and brought the two books that were on your table, I hope that's okay?"

Bella nodded hesitantly, "Thank you! I'm sorry that it's a mess; I haven't had a chance to clean it after the other night…"

Esme put a hand over hers, "Bella – breathe honey, it has all been taken care of. You don't have to worry about a thing."

Bella could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she imagined Esme cleaning up the blood stains off the floor.

"Rosalie and Alice did a bit of a spring clean on Sunday morning," Esme added and while Bella hated the idea of someone else having to clean up after her, she was relieved that Esme hadn't done it.

Bella looked up to see Edward scowling and pacing the length of his kitchen as he raked his hands through his hair. Bella smirked – two hands meant that he was really agitated.

Esme followed Bella's gaze and she snorted at her son's obvious discomfort at her being there.

She knew that Edward was worried that she was going to _steal_ Bella away and truthfully that was exactly what she wanted to do, but she understood that Bella was a very private individual and she and Edward needed this time together as she recovered from her ordeal and they explored whatever was happening between them.

Esme smiled innocently as she spoke up, "Oh Edward, Dad asked me if you could take those files that you were working on, into the office. He wanted to check on Mrs. Lake's blood work and he is seeing Lauren this morning." She said nonchalantly.

Edward narrowed his eyes as he looked into his mother's innocent face. Hmm, he knew that she was behind this 'chore' but he knew that he would never be able to prove it. She was too good at covering her tracks.

"Sneaky!" he muttered as he looked around for his phone and his keys.

"Hmm? What Honey?"

Edward pushed his aviator glasses on to his nose, "Nothing mom."

He went into his office and picked up his leather book bag before he walked back into the great room.

"I won't be long, okay? Don't let my mother tire you out. If you want to lie down, you just tell her." Edward said to Bella, ignoring his mother's huff of impatience.

Esme waved him away with a hissed, "Stop hovering Edward!"

Bella smiled at him weakly, "I will be fine, Edward."

With one last look at the two women, Edward nodded and walked to his car.

He drove to the surgery where he greeted their receptionist, Cathy Wilber, who seemed surprised to see him, "Hi Doctor E! We didn't expect you in this week. Doctor C said that you are taking care of a family friend."

Edward greeted Cathy, who had been Carlisle's receptionist and nurse for the past twenty years.

"Hey Cathy, I won't be here for long, is Dad available?"

She nodded and waved him through to the hallway behind her.

Edward tapped on his father's office door, Carlisle's face changed from surprised to amused, "Hey son, how did she do it? Come in, come in."

Edward chuckled ruefully, "She told me that you needed some files."

Carlisle chuckled, "Damn she's good. Would you like some coffee?"

"Sounds good."

Carlisle stood up and took his lab coat off. "Let's go over to the diner, I don't have an appointment for an hour."

The two men walked down the road to the diner which was much quieter now that school was back. The new school year had begun amid much excitement. Brianna had been excited to begin her high school career and she had been ready early for her school bus.

Mike greeted them from his place behind the counter. Now that school was back, Jessica only worked early mornings, to assist with the breakfast rush and Mike worked the register and oversaw their cook, Manual the rest of the time.

Carlisle and Edward orders a slice of peach cobbler and coffee.

"Mom will kill you if she knows that you are guzzling peach cobbler before lunch time." Edward chuckled.

Carlisle moaned, "You have no idea! You mother is on one of her 'heath stints' again. She had great plans for us to only eat fresh vegetables and fruit four days a week and then she wants to add steamed chicken or fish for a treat!"

"So, did you have a good weekend?"

Carlisle nodded, "For the most part."

Edward sighed, "I'm sorry that Amun called you. I didn't want to ruin your weekend and make mom all anxious and shit. We were freaked out enough for you all."

"I know and I appreciate the gesture, but I'm glad that we found out. What did Kebi say yesterday?"

Edward told him about Bella's appointment.

Carlisle watched Edward take a sip of his coffee, "How are you doing?"

Edward shrugged as he met his father's concerned gaze, "Okay, I guess. Bella was so scared, but she handled it like a trooper. Kebi was amazing with her, but you know Kebi."

"I asked how _you_ are doing?" Carlisle reiterated quietly.

Edward put his mug down, "I don't know Dad. I mean, I was pissed at first, you know that she hadn't told me. We are supposed to be friends, at least we were getting there, before this happened. She told me about how it happened, you know, about the guy and it's not my story to tell, but I can say that if I ever find the little shit, well, I'm going to need a damn good lawyer!"

"So, it wasn't drugs or anything like that?" Edward could hear the obvious relief in his father's voice and he knew why he had asked that question.

"No, Dad, she doesn't take drugs. Her toxicology screen came back absolutely clear and they tested for everything. Her nose and mouth are clear and healthy as well. Don't worry Dad, Bella is not on drugs, if she had been, I would have taken her to a rehab clinic myself and dropped her off and that would have been that. There is no way that I could ever get involved with a woman who was drug dependant, but I'm grateful that you worry."

Carlisle reached over and put his hand on top of Edward's, "I wasn't worried that this would send you over the edge or anything. I know that you are long past that, but I am concerned for you. You are my son and you will always be my first concern. I know that you care for Bella." He shook his head, even as Edward opened his mouth to deny his words.

"Don't bother to deny it, son! It's okay to like her, I told you that before, but now more than ever, Bella needs a friend, not a lover. So you are going to have to wait for her heart to catch up to yours. Are you prepared for the wait?"

Edward looked out the window before he looked back at his father's clear blue eyes. Carlisle saw emotions that he had never seen before in Edward's eyes before – hope, excitement, determination, and something that he didn't see often from his sons, vulnerability.

"I'm prepared to wait for her. I know that this may not be a good idea, but I would like to try, Dad."

After another moment Carlisle nodded and smiled at his son with a mixture of pride and amusement, "I guess you'll be taking many cold showers…"

"Dad! Not you too! Seriously!" Edward exclaimed horrified.

As they were paying for their meal and they were walking back to their offices, Carlisle spoke up, "Look, I would like to get your opinion on something that your mother and I have been talking about. We have a proposition for Bella that I think will be just the thing to take her mind off losing the baby. We would like to discuss it with her tonight, but I think that she would like to have you with her, so we are inviting ourselves to dinner."

Edward frowned, "I was wondering why Mom brought all those groceries this morning. What kind of proposition?"

"Relax Edward, it's nothing bad, in fact I think it may be just the thing to get our Bella on track again. Let me outline what we were thinking…"

For the next while Carlisle outlined the plan that he and Esme had come up with and while Edward asked tons of questions, some of which they had no answer for, he loved the idea.

When he was finished, he looked at Edward, "So, do you think that she will go for it?"

Edward was grinning from ear to ear and nodding, "I think that she will be excited about it. Of course, I can pay…"

Carlisle shook his head, "No, the last thing we want is for her to see this as charity. This is a business proposition. Bella will be working very hard over the next few years if she agrees to this."

"Okay, well I guess that we will see you at six thirty then." Edward said.

Edward walked to his car and got in. He hoped that Bella wouldn't flip out over this. He hoped that she would see it for what it was, a great opportunity to start her new life.

=====HS=====

Esme and Bella spent some time talking about Esme's weekend in 'the city'. She told Bella about the dinners that they went to, the museums, and the live shows. Neither of them broached the subject of Bella's pregnancy or the miscarriage although Esme was dying to ask her about it, she decided to let Bella come to her.

Esme insisted on making a mid morning snack for them as Bella sat on the sofa reading _Little Woman_.

Bella had been worried over what Esme was going to say to her, but Esme never brought the subject up.

Finally, Bella sighed, "Mizz Esme?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I'm sorry that I kept this from you."

Esme looked up from where she was pouring water into the teapot.

"You were scared."

Bella nodded.

"And let's face it; trust isn't your strong point."

Bella agreed.

"I would like to think that you would have said something eventually, but that is a moot point. Right now, all that Carlisle and I are concerned about is that you get better."

Bella bit her lip before she answered, "I wanted to tell you but Tyler, well he said,"

"What did he say, Bella?"

"He said that if people knew that I was having a baby, they wouldn't let me keep it because people like me shouldn't have babies and they would take it away from me, because I was probably a deadbeat like, well, like my parents."

Esme was by her side in a flash, her eyes burned with an intensity that made it hard to look at her, but Bella couldn't look away from her.

"Are you a drug addict? A drug dealer? A criminal? An alcoholic? Are you abusive? Or cruel? Are you sick?" Esme shot the questions off in rapid succession.

Bella shook her head emphatically, "No, no, no! Why are you asking me these things?" she said as she cringed away from Esme.

Roscoe rose from his bed and he walked over to take up position next to where Bella sat.

Esme put her hands on Bella's shoulders, "Oh Bella! I want you to see that you are _worthy_ of being a mother and someday I have no doubt that you will be a wonderful mother. You have got to stop believing all the lies that people have spoken over and to you all your life. You need to realize that you are a wonderful human being, who has the potential to do great things – if you want to. You are smart and funny and you are intelligent, you just need to start believing in yourself. I'm sorry if I upset you, Bella, but you don't see yourself clearly at all!" She said as Bella swiped at her tears.

Roscoe whimpered, asking her if she was okay and without thinking Bella put out her hand and gently stroked his black soft fur between his ears.

Roscoe leaned into Bella's touch and after a moment he lay down after giving Esme a reproachful look.

After Bella drank her tea, she asked Esme to show her the work that she wanted her to do. Esme showed her the data that she would be transferring onto the new stock program and Esme was quick to praise the fact that Bella caught on so quickly.

After an hour, Esme could see that Bella was uncomfortable from sitting for too long, and she suggested that Bella take a nap.

Bella was exhausted from the morning's revelations. She walked upstairs and quickly pulled her dress off. After a moment, she found Edward's old school shirt and she slipped it over her breasts and pulled it down over her panties.

She pulled the curtains closed and after using the bathroom, she took a half of one of her pain killers and climbed between the cool sheets.

She knew that Esme meant well, and she desperately wanted to believe her but – could she? Bella heard a sound and looked up to see Roscoe taking his place outside her door. But instead of lying down, he was standing and staring at her expectantly.

"I'm alright boy. I'll be okay." She said quietly and as if he understood her, Roscoe lay down in his place across her doorway.

Bella turned over and stared at the ceiling. She had so much to think about.

_Maybe the things that she used to believe about herself weren't true._

_She wasn't stupid like the Rawlings and Tyler used to tell her. _

_She wasn't 'good-for-nothing'. _

_She wasn't 'bad' or a 'dead-beat'._

_She did deserve to have a family of her own – people that cared for her, that could maybe even love her someday._

Bella closed her eyes as she pulled the pillow that Edward had used towards her. Although it didn't smell like him any longer, it still made her feel safe.

_Maybe I'll be okay after all…_

=====HS=====

When Edward got home, he found his mother knitting on the sofa. Bella was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Mom, where's Bella?"

"She was tired after our morning and I sent her to lie down."

Edward frowned and took a step towards the stairs but Esme stopped him, "Relax, _'papa bear'_, Bella is fine! Come and sit with me." She patted the seat next to her and Edward sat down and fingered the pretty pink, green, yellow, and blue wool.

"Is it that time of year again?" he asked with a smile.

Esme nodded. Ever since she had learned to knit when she was seven years old, Esme knitted or crocheted hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, jerseys, or Afghans for family members and friends. She also belonged to a knitting and sowing craft circle that sold their produce at the annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Gift Fair that was held each year in the town hall.

"These are Emma's new 'favorite' colors and they match her new rain boots and rain coat."

Edward stretched his legs out in front of him as he slouched down in his seat, "Have you been sleeping honey?"

Edward nodded, "Yeah, but I just worry about her you know?"

Esme smiled and she put her knitting down to cup Edward's cheeks in her hands, "You are a really good friend and Bella is lucky to have you, but she is doing well. You don't have to sequester her Edward. She is not going to break. Bella is stronger than you think."

"I know she is, Mom, but I just don't want anyone else to hurt her, you know? She has been fucked around enough in her life and I won't let anyone else take advantage of her ever again!"

Esme frowned, "Watch your language."

"Sorry, but it's true."

"I know honey, but you talk like that again and I will wash your mouth out with soap!" Esme said as she pushed Edward's head onto her shoulder.

"Ma, I'm almost twenty-eight years old."

"Hmm, do I look like I'm joking?"

Edward grumbled, "May-May rules, I know."

Edward closed his eyes as his mother went back to her knitting, but then he heard an odd noise upstairs.

He got up silently and walked over to the stairs.

=====HS=====

Bella woke feeling refreshed and ready to do some work that afternoon.

She washed her face and brushed her hair and teeth and put her dress on once more.

Bella thought that she heard Edward's voice downstairs and she grinned to herself as her heart beat faster.

She walked past Roscoe and began to walk down the steps when she heard Edward voice,

"_Yeah, but I just worry about her you know?"_

Bella was about to continue down the stairs but she froze when she heard Esme's reply. Bella stood on the stairs wondering how she was going to walk into the great room without Edward and Esme realizing that she had been listening to their conversation.

She hadn't meant to eavesdrop but she couldn't help herself.

"_You are a really good friend and Bella is lucky to have you, but she is doing well. You don't have to sequester her Edward. She is not going to break. Bella is stronger than you think."_

"_I know she is, Mom, but I just don't want anyone else to hurt her, you know? She has been fucked around enough in her life and I won't let anyone else take advantage of her ever again!"_

Bella grinned as she heard Edward drop the f-bomb, she was a bad influence on him, but he sounded so fucking cute when he cussed.

"_Watch your language."_

"_Sorry, but it's true."_

"_I know honey, but you talk like that again and I will wash your mouth out with soap!"_

"_Ma, I'm almost twenty-eight years old."_

"_Hmm, do I look like I'm joking?"_

"_May-May rules I know."_

Bella threw her hand over her mouth to stop her guffaws and she tried to tiptoe upstairs without being noticed.

It was too bad that Roscoe thought that she was playing hide and seek, _only his favorite game in the whole wide world, besides chasing rabbits._

He bounded up the stairs behind her, making Bella laugh harder with his tongue hanging out as he hopped up and down the steps around her.

Bella tripped on the top step and Roscoe immediately dropped onto the ground with his head on his paws, as if to say "It wasn't me!"

Bella giggled as she pushed her hair out of her face and sat up on the landing.

A throat cleared behind her and she gasped and scrambled to her feet.

Edward was standing two steps down from her with his arms folded over his chest and one eyebrow was raised. He tapped his lips with his fingers.

"Sooo, what are you doing Bella?" he said in a sing-song voice.

Bella could see that he was holding his laughter in and she felt her own lips twitch.

"Nothing, _Doctor_ Cullen" she fluttered her eyelashes at him in the hopes that she would distract him.

Edward's smirked and his eyes twinkled, "Is there something in your eye?"

Bella snorted and she put her hand over her mouth, and shook her head.

"I thought that Roscoe was on the steps eavesdropping because I _knew_ that you would _never _sneak around the stairwell, would you, Bella?" he asked as he took another step up.

Bella backed away as she began to giggle.

Edward dropped into a crouch with his hand shaped into claws and he grinned as he saw Bella flinch, "Are you ticklish, Bella Swan? Huh? Are you?"

Bella shook her head frantically, "No, no, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hear you get reprimanded by your 'mama' like a five year old!"

Edward's eyes narrowed, "Five year old? See what happened when this five year old is tickling you until you pee!"

Suddenly there was a warning bark from behind him. Roscoe didn't like raised voices at all and he would bark and race around whenever there was a game on television that he got too involved in. Edward straitened and turned around to assure his dog when Bella shocked him completely, she stepped past Edward and she stretched the back of her hand out towards Roscoe.

He gently pressed his nose against her skin as she cooed to him, "It's alright boy. You know that Edward wouldn't ever hurt me! Silly boy." She said affectionately.

Edward's jaw dropped, and Bella grinned at him, "What?"

"_What? What?_ Two weeks ago you were curled up on the floor, all traumatized from the dog and now you are touching him? When the hell did this happen?" he asked agog.

Bella shrugged her shoulders, "Well, Roscoe and I have been checking each other out over the past few days and I've been doing some reading and I don't know, he reminds me of you in a way." She said as she felt her cheeks turn warm.

Edward's eyebrows shot up, "He reminds you of me - how? Do we both have doggy breath or something?"

Bella shook her head and mumbled something.

"Pardon?" he said quickly, he knew that she was getting uncomfortable with him pushing her, but he wanted to know the answer.

Bella shook her head but said nothing.

"Tell me, Bella."

Bella shook her head, now pissed off – couldn't he just leave well enough alone?

"So this is going to make your ego even bigger, but he makes me feel safe, just like you do, okay? Are you happy now? Now you can use that against me!"

Gone was the playful mood of moments before, instead Bella was glaring at Edward as if she resented that he made her feel safe.

Edward narrowed his eyes as he studied her for a moment, she _did_ resent him for making her feel safe! _She resented the fact that she was changing. She was thawing, becoming more human instead of the brainwashed robot that she had been and she blamed him for it!_

The realization almost made Edward giddy, but he quickly quashed that feeling and he let the anger take hold. _What the fuck? He was being nice to her and she was picking a fucking fight with him?_ "Whatever Bella, lunch will be ready in ten minutes. Would you like to come downstairs?" he said coldly.

Bella flinched at his almost hostile tone, and she knew that it was her fault that he was pulling away from her, but she dare not apologize. She was so scared of the feelings that being in Edward's home was stirring up. Being this close to him was making her feel things that she had never felt before and it was terrifying.

"Um, no thanks, I'm not really hungry right now, I think that I will have a shower and just read up here."

"Suite yourself." He said without looking at her, "You know, your mood swings are giving me whiplash."

Edward clicked his fingers and Roscoe gave Bella a sorrowfully reproachful look as he followed his master downstairs.

"Great, now they are both mad at me! You really know how to fuck things up, don't you, Bella?" she muttered to herself.

What she told Edward had been the truth; he did make her feel safe. But she was scared that if she let her guard down again she was going to end up destitute and alone and she didn't know if she could ever do that again.

Not anymore.

She_ liked_ having a place to call 'home' even if it was a laborer's room in a shed. She _liked_ walking down the street and have people greet her, by name. She _liked_ having a job to go to every day and to know that she was going to be paid for that day's work. She _liked_ having friends and people that missed her.

She liked having Edward in the house with her. She liked sharing the same space with him.

A little while later there was a soft knock on her door and Bella felt her heart skip a beat.

She looked up with an expectant smile, only to feel it waiver when Esme walked in with a tray.

She smiled apologetically at Bella, "I know I'm not the face that you wanted to see, but he wanted to make sure that you ate something."

Bella was too miserable to even deny what Esme had said. Instead she turned to stare out of the window.

"I'm not a good friend. We shouldn't be friends; Edward was right the first time. We shouldn't be friends." She said quietly.

Esme sighed. She put the tray down and walked around the table to sit next to Bella on the window seat.

"Bella, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not concerned with the friendship that you and my son have struck up. But I'm only concerned that you both take it slowly and give it a chance to grow into whatever it's meant to be. He cares for you Bella. And I think that you care for him."

Bella turned and looked at Esme with her troubled brown eyes. Esme saw the sheen of unshed tears in her eyes and she gently cupped Bella's cheek, "When you care for someone, you need to… temper your words, you know? You need to be careful what you say and how you say them, because the other person, your friend, could be hurt by what you say."

Bella frowned, "So I should lie?"

Esme shook her head, "No! Never lie to your friends but you can 'speak the truth in love.' The Bible talks about that. To speak the truth in love means to tell the truth but in a way that is not spiteful or hurtful, and even though what you tell someone may hurt him or her, you can do it in a gentle and loving way. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Bella nodded, "That's why I'm no good as a friend, Esme, I just keep fu, um, messing up! And then I just end up apologizing to him! He probably can't wait to be rid of me!" Bella sighed and stared down at her hands that were in her lap.

Esme looked up and smiled when she saw Edward standing in the open doorway, "Well, it's time for me to leave, Bree will be home soon. We will see you both this evening, Edward has very kindly invited Carlisle and I to dinner."

Bella's head shot up when she heard Edward snort-cough.

_How long had he been standing there?_ She thought, as her cheeks turned pink. She was so lost in her thoughts that she missed the part about dinner and only gave Esme half her attention when she leaned over and kissed Bella's cheek, "Stop worrying Bella, you are going to get wrinkles!"

Esme walked up to Edward and she patted his cheek, "Give her time, honey." She said quietly.

Edward gave her a quick nod, "I am Ma."

"Good boy, we will see you later. I'll let myself out."

Edward barely noticed when she left; he was too busy staring at the top of Bella's head.

"Is there room over there for me?"

Bella looked up at him guiltily and nodded, "Please."

"I'll be right back." He said and he turned on his heel and ran to fetch his own lunch and the two bottles of water that was downstairs.

When he got back upstairs, Bella was nervously twirling her hair around a finger and she was biting her bottom lip.

Edward put his plate of sandwiches and fruit on the table and even though he was tempted he decided to side across from her and not next to her.

Bella looked at him from under her lashes with hesitation.

Edward gave her, a gentle smile before he pushed her plate towards her, "Come on, eat up, I spent a good six minutes making lunch!" He kept his tone light.

Bella finally smiled and she picked up a sandwich, "This looks good; what do we have here?"

"Well, there is chicken salad sandwiches and sliced fresh peaches with apple sauce."

"Peaches and applesauce?" Bella said skeptically.

"Oh come on! Just try it! Applesauce is one of the best inventions in the universe! I can eat jars of it."

"Really? What else do you enjoy eating?"

Edward accepted the olive branch that Bella was extending and for the remainder of lunch they spoke about their favorite foods, movies, books – everything except what had happened earlier.

After lunch Edward suggested that they take Roscoe for a walk in the park, provided Bella would go slowly.

Bella put her hair up into a sassy ponytail and she slipped on her thong sandals before she met Edward at the front door.

He had changed into long shorts and a plain pale green T-shirt that made his eyes stand out even more.

Roscoe wiggling around the door, but he sat down as soon as Bella walked downstairs.

"Good boy!" they both said at the same time and then laughed.

Edward made sure to hold Roscoe on his left and he extended his right arm to Bella, "Shall we?"

Bella hooked her arm through his as she smiled to herself.

They walked in silence for a while as Edward led them down a shade dappled pathway. Edward had let Roscoe off his leash and he was dashing around every which way.

Edward led them to a bench that overlooked the large 'pond'.

"It is really peaceful here," Bella said quietly.

Edward nodded, "Yeah, it's a great place to live."

"Do you ever miss living in the city?" she asked.

Edward shrugged, "Not really, I mean New York is only about four and a half hours away. Boston is about two and a half hours from here and Hartford is around the corner really, so if any of us feel like going to a show, or just getting away for the weekend, we can." He shifted in his seat so that he was looking at her, "What about you? Is there anything about the city that you miss?"

Bella shook her head vigorously, "Nope, nothing. I don't miss sleeping in my smelly car and feeling claustrophobic because I'm too nervous to leave a window open. I don't miss the smell of the garbage in the alleyways. I don't miss the druggies, the winos, and the creeps lurking in the doorways. I don't miss hiding from the cops, in case they would send me back. I don't miss being hungry and only bathing in public restrooms. I don't miss fighting for a place in a queue to get an under the counter job as a dishwasher. No, I can honestly say that there is nothing about the city that I miss. I'm glad that I met Billy!" Bella's left hand that had been resting on the bench between them reached out until her fingers covered Edward's right hand that was on his leg, his left arm was on the bench behind her.

He silently turned his hand and wove his fingers through her small ones until they were firmly holding hands. Edward pulled their joined hands towards him and Bella slid across the bench until they were touching from their arms to their knees. He brought their hands to his lips and gently kissed her fingers before he laid their hands on his flat stomach.

"I'm glad you met Billy too. I'm very glad that you are here, Bella. Every friendship has rough patches. It's like growing pains – it hurts sometimes but it makes you stronger."

Bella smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder, "Thank you for being my friend and putting up with me, Edward." She whispered.

Edward rested his cheek on her sweet smelling hair, "Well, you are very welcome, love."

They sat in comfortable silence for a time as Edward hummed a tune that Bella didn't recognize.

"That sounds lovely." She said.

Edward smiled against her hair, "It reminds me of you." Was all he said.

=====HS=====

Bella insisted on helping Edward to prepare dinner that afternoon. Because it was a perfect late summer's day, Edward had decided to make grilled Salmon and zucchini with a red pepper sauce. The side dishes that he chose were roasted potato, summer squash and corn, as well as a mixed six-bean salad served in vinaigrette dressing. He was patient with Bella and complimented her without being condescending and by the time that they both went upstairs to shower; Bella had proudly made the two side dishes and the accompanying pitcher of sweet berry ice tea that was cooling in the fridge.

Bella showered and dressed in new underwear set that was made from pretty pale yellow lace. She pulled on the pair of linen shorts that she had bought from Alice's shop and she had teamed it with a plain cream tank top. She put her thong sandals back on and she stood at the open windows and finger-dried her hair.

Edward knocked on her door when he was ready. Edward fired up the grill, while Bella insisted on setting the outside table.

Carlisle and Esme arrived exactly on time. Bella and Esme brought the side dishes and drinks to the table and Bella blushed bright red when she was complimented on her contribution to the dinner. Esme had brought homemade ice-cream for dessert which she served with a homemade peanut butter and chocolate sauce.

After dinner, Esme and Edward insisted on cleaning up the kitchen, while Carlisle and Bella went to sit in the formal sitting room. Bella had only seen the room, but she had not been into it. Bella loved Edward's 'shaker/French country mish-mash room that ran the entire one half of the downstairs part of his house. It's informal, almost shabby style and the pretty pale yellow walls that added a cheery feel to the large space.

The formal sitting room was still welcoming as Bella settled uneasily on an overstuffed armchair, while Carlisle sat on the large sofa.

"How are you feeling now Bella?"

Bella swallowed, "Better thank you."

Bella searched her brain for something to say, but she was so nervous that her mind was completely blank.

Carlisle smiled at her kindly before he began to ask her questions about herself – what did she want to do if she ever graduated high school? Did she want to graduate? Did she enjoy studying? Had she enjoyed interacting with other children at school? Had she belonged to any social clubs?

Bella wondered where all of his questions were leading to and she sighed in audible relief when Edward and Esme joined them.

Edward could see that Bella's nerves were shot as she jumped up and almost knocked the tray out of his hands in her eagerness to get close to him. He glared at his father. He had warned his parents about being overzealous on the phone earlier.

He quickly put the tray down on the coffee table and casually drew Bella into his side. He sat down on a smaller two-seat sofa and Bella sat so close to him that she was practically on his lap.

Esme poured the coffee although neither Edward nor Bella took any. Bella's gaze darted from Carlisle to Esme before she looked at Edward.

"What is going on?" She asked as she licked her dry lips.

Edward let out a loud sigh of frustration, "There is nothing bad going on, I promise, but my parents do want to talk to you, except neither of them can keep a straight face, which is why they both look so guilty. You need to listen to them, love. Just keep an open mind, okay?"

Bella found herself looking up at him while her heart began to pound uncomfortably. She knew that she was beginning to panic and her hand reached out blindly for his. Her fingers closed tightly around his and she took a deep breath, "Okay."

Edward stared at her, "I mean it, and you can't go flying off the handle, without hearing everything that they have to say. Do you promise?"

This time Bella nodded slowly and she looked across at where Carlisle and Esme were sitting, "Okay, but I need to tell you about my pregnancy first, please."

No one said a word as Bella retold her story to Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle's eyes grew dark when she told them that she didn't blame Tyler from running off, he certainly did blame the boy, and by the look of Edward's face, he also blamed the stupid little shit!

When she was finished telling them the story she looked at each of them, "I'm sorry that I lied to you, or held this back from you, but now you know why I did. I promise that there is nothing else that I can think of that I haven't told you. Now you know everything."

She leaned heavily against Edward as she took a deep breath.

Carlisle cleared his throat and Bella was suddenly conscious of the fact that she was still clutching Edward's hand. She felt her cheeks burning as she dropped it and scooted away from him to the other side of the sofa.

Edward frowned but he didn't say anything.

"Go ahead Dad." He prompted.

"Bella, I'm sorry that such an awful thing happened to you and regardless of what you think, we are not judging you at all. In the little time that we have come to know you, Esme and I both think that you are a remarkable young woman and that you have huge potential to do something extraordinary with your life and we would like to help you to achieve your full potential. What we would like to propose is this: We would like to pay for you to study and get your GED."

"You can study online for the test and they hold it every month from November through to March to get your diploma. We will then pay for you to go to college and get a degree in whatever field you would like to pursue. While you are doing all of this, you will live in the loft apartment that is over our garage – it is completely self-contained with a bathroom, bedroom and a kitchenette and sitting room. What we expect for this is for you to do your very best at school, get good grades and you will continue to work for _**Best of Blue**_ until you graduate. If you decide to drop out, for whatever reason, or if you fail and you did not come to us for help, the deal is off and we will expect you to pay us back for whatever we have spent up until that time. We will pay for your tuition, your books and anything else that you need for school."

_Huh?_ Bella's mind was a complete blank.

Bella was suddenly aware that her lungs felt as if they were going to explode and she let out a gush of air. She was staring at Carlisle as if he had grown two heads.

Carlisle held out a folder for her and when she didn't take it he handed it to Edward, "That is all the information that you need to get your GED. It's going to take a few months for you to get ready and there are a number of on-line courses that you can take to prepare. Of course, we will all help you."

_Say… What?_

Bella became aware of Edward's voice, "…Bella? Are you okay love?"

"Huh?" She almost got whiplash at the speed that she turned her head to look at him. "I'm sorry what did you say?"

He was looking at her with concern etched on his handsome face, "Are you okay?"

Bella ignored him as she stood up quickly, "I need some water," she managed to say before she fled into the great room. Roscoe lifted his head and he watched his new friend as she stumbled to the tap and turned it on before she pulled a glass from the cupboard.

"Bella?"

Bella gasped as she dropped the glass and turned around to face Edward who was standing in the doorway.

"Why?" Her voice was harsh and loud.

"Why what?" Edward asked puzzled.

Bella had so many emotions warring for a place in her mind, but it was her defense mechanism of anger that won out.

She glared at Edward, "Why the fuck would they want to help me? Why are they trying to buy me? What's in it for them?" she spat the words at him like poison darts.

Instead of letting his own anger out, Edward decided to stay calm, "Why don't you ask them? What are you really afraid of here, Bella?"

Bella snorted.

"Who the fuck says that I'm afraid?" she growled.

Suddenly all of the fight and bravado went out of her as his emerald green eyes almost burned her.

This was Edward – her friend, her only real friend and she continued in a tiny voice, "Edward, What if I fail? What if I can't do it? What if everyone realizes that I am stupid? What then? This is too much… I can't…" Bella spun around and she stared blindly out of the kitchen window into the darkened garden.

She felt his presence but she kept her back turned to the room as she spoke again, "Edward, no one has _ever_ cared for me. I have never had one person care for me or want to help me. Well, there was a teacher in school, but Simon took care of that! There was my case-worker but she was just doing her job and she didn't even care to check if I was happy or anything. She just made sure that I was alive and that I had somewhere to stay. I just don't understand why! Why would they do this for me? I'm hardly worth the trouble, but first you and now them… I don't understand – what do you see in me?" her voice hitched on a sob.

There was a moment's silence before a gentle voice answered her, "Bella Swan, I think that you are very special. I think that you are brave, kind, funny and very intelligent. I think that you can do anything that you set your mind to and I want to be a part of that. I know that I can never be your mother, but I would dearly love to be your friend. Carlisle and I love you as if you were one of our own." Esme's voice was just above a whisper.

Bella spun around and she saw Carlisle and Esme standing behind Edward.

"Bella, we don't know each other very well, but what I do know intrigues me. My daughter came home the other day and told me about a conversation that you and she had on Thursday evening. Esme and I owe you our gratitude for getting Bree to tell us about Riley and what was going on in her life. I see the way that you relate to our grandkids. You are kind and I like your quick mind and your obvious intelligence. I don't know who told you so many lies about yourself, but I can assure you that you are not stupid. I would love to help you to achieve your goals in life and it would be a privilege if you would let us help you. You are a part of our family now, whether you like it or not."

Bella wiped the silent tears off her cheeks as Carlisle stopped talking.

Her eyes finally sought Edward's and what she saw there scared and thrilled her.

His smile was almost sad; "I wasn't looking for a – friend when I met you. I didn't even want to like you, but there are so many things about you that I like and there are so many more things that I want to learn about you. Some of my reasons are selfish, like I don't want you to leave Hope Springs. I want you to put down roots. I want to see you grow and I want to be around when you finally become the person that we can see is just lurking beneath your hard exterior. Please will you just think about it?"

They stared at each other for a long time in silent communication until they began to smile at each other.

"Yeah?" he asked as he took a step forward.

Bella bit her lip and looked from Carlisle to Esme before her eyes turned back to Edward, "Do you promise to help me?"

Another step.

"Yeah."

"Do you promise to stay my friend?" she asked him.

Edward's eyes twinkled, 'Your very best friend."

Bella took a deep breath, "Okay. Yeah." She was pulled into Edward's arms and she let out a loud laugh as he twirled her around the kitchen before he put her onto her feet.

She stumbled for a moment before she walked over to where Carlisle and Esme were standing. Esme was crying unashamedly and even Carlisle was emotional.

"I would love to go back to school, but I want to know all of the costs because I don't know how or when, but I am going to pay you back every cent." Bella said before she was pulled into a hug by Carlisle and Esme and after a moment, she felt Edward's arms close over her shoulder.

Bella giggled as an earth shattering thought struck her: _Bella Swan was going back to school!_

**A/N: Well, what do you think? They seem to be moving along nicely don't they? Well, we all know that the course of true love does not run smoothly – especially here in the FF kingdom. That's all I'm saying….**

**Love you all till next week,**

**Michele**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 10…**_

_**Bella bit her lip and looked from Carlisle to Esme before her eyes turned back to Edward, "Do you promise to help me?"**_

_**Another step.**_

"_**Yeah."**_

"_**Do you promise to stay my friend?" she asked him.**_

_**Edward's eyes twinkled, 'Your very best friend." **_

_**Bella took a deep breath, "Okay. Yeah." She was pulled into Edward's arms and she let out a loud laugh as he twirled her around the kitchen before he put her onto her feet.**_

_**She stumbled for a moment before she walked over to where Carlisle and Esme were standing. Esme was crying unashamedly and even Carlisle was emotional.**_

"_**I would love to go back to school, but I want to know all of the costs because I don't know how or when, but I am going to pay you back every cent." Bella said before she was pulled into a hug by Carlisle and Esme and after a moment, she felt Edward's arms close over her shoulder.**_

_**Bella Swan was going back to school!**_

**CHAPTER 11 – TO SIR WITH LOVE?**

Carlisle and Esme left after they had gone over the forms that Bella needed to fill in as well as the information that she needed.

What they had agreed on was that Bella would pay the principle amount, minus interest, Carlisle wouldn't budge on that at all, into a trust account that would be used to put a child or children of her choice through either school or college or both.

Bella agreed immediately and Carlisle and Esme promised to have Emmett draw up an agreement.

Carlisle made her promise to rest for the duration of the week, with only short walks each day. In the mean time Esme, along with her 'helpers' would get the apartment ready for Bella. Edward had been the last person to live there and it had stood empty for almost eight years, except for the occasional guest.

Before they left, Carlisle had told Bella that Emmett was making enquiries into her past, to find out more about her family and her personal history. She was going to be going to college and so they would need doctors' records, dental and school records amongst other things.

Bella appreciated his honesty and she liked Emmett even more when Carlisle told her that Emmett wanted to discuss her past with her before he disclosed anything to anyone else. She no longer had anything to hide and she was very curious to find out about her parents.

Bella lay in bed that night unable to sleep at all. She had tried a relaxing bath, she had tried to read, and nothing was working.

She was going to finish school, get her diploma and then go to college!

She giggled into her pillow, _how the fuck did that happen?_

Two weeks ago she had been destitute, homeless, pregnant and afraid.

Now she had friends, 'family', a home, a future and she had Edward.

Bella got up and she sat on the window seat and stared out at the deserted park.

_Hope Springs was going to be her home!_

She heard a movement behind her and turned to see Roscoe standing just inside her doorway, "Come here, boy. It's okay. I just can't sleep. Come and keep me company."

Roscoe padded over to her and he sank down at her feet and was almost immediately asleep.

"You are spoiling him."

Bella looked up with a smile. Edward was standing in her doorway in a pair of sleep pants – his chest was bare and Bella felt her fingers itching to touch his well-defined but subtle muscles and the soft hair that was sprinkled on his chest and blazed a trail from his navel to under his sleep pants.

_Kill me now._

Bella licked her lips and tried not to think about the wetness in her shorts.

"He was worried because I'm out of bed – he is a bit of a worry-wart."

Edward smiled and walked across the room, "He's a bit like me."

Bella smiled but said nothing as she quickly looked outside again. She couldn't even think straight with him so close to her.

"Talk to me love." Edward said as he sat down next to her.

"It's almost the end of the week. I'm going to be going back to my room in a couple of days and you are going to go back to work."

Edward waited.

"I'm going to miss you." She said finally.

Edward smiled gently as he took one of her hands in his, "Look at me."

Bella looked up at him and Edward saw the vulnerability in her eyes, "I'm going to miss you too, Bella. I love having you here in my home. I have enjoyed getting to know you and talking with you."

Bella's eye lit up, "You do?"

Edward chuckled, "Of course I do, love. I am going to miss you, but you know what?"

"What?" Bella knew that she was pouting and that she sounded like a petulant five years old.

"This is going to be so great!"

Bella narrowed her eyes at him, "Were you dropped on your head as a kid? How is that '_so great?_'" she said in a terrible imitation of his deep, husky voice!

Edward laughed, "Because this way we get to know each other better without taking each other for granted. We can have study dates, and break-time dates and it will be good for both of us."

Bella's cheeks felt hot, "You um, you want to date me?" She asked as she blew a wispy piece of hair out of her eyes.

Edward smiled as he reached out and gently tucked the errant strand of hair behind her ear. He waited until Bella looked at him before he answered her, "I would very much like to take you on a date, Miss Swan, and that will just be the start because once you get your GED, you are going to have to study for your SATs before you apply to college…"

Bella was positively glowing when she listened to Edward tell her that he wanted to take her on a date, but then the rest of his sentence sank in and Bella sat up with a frown, "What? Okay, you have to slow down Edward! I feel as if my head is going to explode! Let me get through the GED first, okay?" Bella's smile belied her growl.

Bella had turned in her seat so that she was facing him fully, her eyes kept darting to the outline of the tattoo that she couldn't see too clearly because it was hidden by his arm.

Bella licked her bottom lip before she searched his eyes for understanding, her vulnerability suddenly evident in her dark brown eyes, "I'm scared of living alone, Edward. What if I break something? Or burn the house down? I'm going to miss being with you and talking to you whenever I want to." She leaned down and brushed her fingers over Roscoe's head, "I'm going to miss him too." She said quietly.

Edward wanted to pull Bella into his arms and tell her that she didn't ever have to leave but he also knew that Bella would probably punch his balls into his tonsils if he tried to hug her and by allowing her to give in to her fit of nerves he wasn't helping her.

He took a deep breath and hardened his resolve, reminding himself that was going to do this for her. He forced himself to give a harsh bark of laughter, as he braced himself for the fallout from what he was about to say.

"What the fuck are you laughing at, Cullen?" Bella snapped. She was exposing her fucking soul to the dick and he was laughing at her? _How had she ever thought that he was gorgeous?_

"Oh come on Bella! You can't expect me to believe that you of all people are afraid of sleeping and living in a real house. You have lived in a stinking alley for heaven's sake! With hobos, winos, and junkies as your neighbors!" As Edward watched Bella's face grow red with anger, he knew that he had achieved his goal. Now all he had to do was protect his gonads.

Bella jumped to her feet, disturbing Roscoe who glared at Edward in silent reproach. _Sorry buddy, but she just needs a little push out of the nest_, Edward told his friend, who turned his head away and closed his eyes, _you are on your own, Dickward!_

"Fuck you Edward! I didn't tell you that so that you could make fun of me – you know what? Just get out! Get the fuck out of my room. Don't worry, I will be out of your hair on Sunday, or sooner if I can get someone to fetch me, so then you can fumigate your house to get rid of all the cuties! Don't bother to try and help me get my GED; I've done just fine until now without you!"

Bella was standing at her bedroom door with her arms crossed over her heaving chest. She was so mad that she wanted to slap that stupid grin off his smug fucking face!

Edward got up and absently rubbed the knot that he could feel in the middle of his chest.

"Come on Ross, let's go." He said quietly.

"Leave him alone… it's just you that I want to leave, now get out!"

Roscoe didn't even acknowledge him as he walked across the room. He looked at Bella but she turned her head away and with a sigh, Edward walked out of her room. The door just missed him as it was closed firmly and not too softly behind him.

Edward didn't even try to sleep after that, he walked downstairs and sat at his piano after he had poured himself a double shot of Jack Daniels. He rarely drank hard spirits but then again, he had never had to deal with 'Bella scorned' before.

He hated what he had done, but he also knew that it was necessary. As his fingers glided over the keys he thought of how she had looked when he had begun making fun of her. She was hurt and she felt betrayed. Edward's eyes closed; _didn't she know how important she had become to him? He hadn't been looking for this! He hadn't asked for this, but somehow or another, this woman had wormed her way into his heart and for the first time in his life, he felt connected to a woman._ The thought scared the shit out of him but not as much as the thought that he had ruined their budding friendship – that thought really scared him.

Bella had pulled one of Esme's multicolored Afghans out of the closet and she had pulled it over her as she lay curled up on the window seat staring out at the moon as it drifted across the sky.

She could hear Edward playing one soulful melody after another. After she had calmed down, she had thought over what he had said and she was puzzled as to why he would say the things that he had.

Over the past week she had gotten to know the real Edward Cullen and he was warm, funny, deep thinking and sometimes quite shy. He had a mischievous side to him and she knew that he could be stubborn and determined but he wasn't cold and mean.

Bella closed her eyes with a sigh. _Dealing with people wasn't easy! They seemed to complicate things unnecessarily._

The last thing Bella thought about before she fell asleep was the tattoo that she had seen on Edward's side. She had not been able to see it clearly but it looked like a griffon or some sort of cat that stretched from under his arm to the end of his ribcage.

The black ink looked sexy against his lightly tanned skin.

_Hmmm… he said that he wanted to date me…._

=====HS=====

Bella woke up and stretched her body. She was surprised to find that she wasn't stiff from sleeping on the narrow window seat but when she opened her eyes she saw that she was in her bed.

She frowned trying to remember when she had woken up and moved to her bed, then she remembered the sensation of being lifted and cradled against a warm chest and she realized that Edward must have carried her to bed. The thought of being that close to his bare chest at once enthralled and alarmed her. She wasn't alarmed with fear, but with the fact that she had been that close to his chest and she didn't remember it – that thought disturbed her more than anything.

She felt someone watching her and looked up to see Roscoe standing at her closed bedroom door.

She got up and opened her door for him before she closed it again and went to shower, even though she could tell that it was still early.

Bella dressed in her cut off jeans and a wife beater before finger drying her hair. She made up her bed and packed the throw away that she had used the night before.

When she opened her door, she saw that Edward's door was open slightly, and for a moment she was tempted to slip into his room.

Her curiosity and the more uncomfortable tugging in her chest caused her to push the door silently open.

Bella had never been inside his room before. The curtains were drawn and appeared to be a sandy/biscuit color. She could see shades of pale blue, sand, chocolate brown and some darker blues or grey. Her eyes zoomed in on the figure lying across the bed. The tussled hair and the exposed skin of his back, buttocks, and thigh made her mouth water even as the sheet pulled haphazardly over one leg and hip taunted her.

Bella could see the outline of the tattoo on Edward's side as his arms were folded under his pillow.

Suddenly Edward gave a half sigh/groan and Bella threw herself onto the thick pile cream carpet.

She had to stifle a giggle when she heard him mumbling to himself and turning over. After a few minutes he seemed to have settled down again and Bella was about to get up when a wet nose touched the side of her nose.

Bella squeaked with fright and fell over sideways which Roscoe thought was a wonderful game and he lay flat on the carpet and wiggled over to her. Bella was trying not to giggle or squeal and instead she tried to roll away from him, which brought her up against the edge of the bathroom doorway.

She knocked her head on the wood and let out a grunt and rolled over onto all fours. Roscoe answered with a quiet 'huff' as he waited to see with his strange friend would do next – so far she was very entertaining.

"What the fuck, Roscoe? What are you – Bella? What is - what are – fuck I'm confused!" Edward was sitting up with the sheet just covering his groin; Bella could see the fine hairs there as she stared at him with her mouth hanging open in shock.

Roscoe wondered if his master was also going to play 'roll over and bark'.

For some reason, Bella would never remember why later on, she began to reverse leopard-crawl out of the room as Edward sat rubbing his face with one hand as he ran a hand through his hair with the other.

"Bella! What _are_ you doing?"

Her eyes widened as she looked into his bright, sleepy gaze, "Um, sorry, um, we um, yeah… I'm going to start breakfast. Come on Roscoe." Her bare feet disappeared into the hall and the rest of her body followed.

Edward stared at the now empty doorway before he looked at his dog, "Care to elaborate?" he asked but Roscoe wasn't talking – he grinned at Edward with his tongue hanging out and walked out of the room.

Edward threw himself back against his pillows and stared at the ceiling.

"What the fuck just happened?" He asked himself as he rubbed his face and tried to rub the sleep from his brain.

He had come upstairs to bed at around two that morning. He checked on Bella and saw that she was about to fall off the window seat and so he had picked her up and carried her to her bed. He _may_ have held her a little too close and he _may_ have held her tight little body against his chest for longer than was necessary but the delectable pout on her lips had made him lower his mouth to gloss over hers in a gossamer kiss.

That of course had led to him fisting his aching dick in the shower. His knees almost gave way as he erupted over the shower wall.

He had fallen into bed exhausted and confused.

Now he remembered that he was buck naked under the sheet that was just covering his cock, which was now rock hard, no thanks to Bella crawling on his carpet!

He jumped out of bed and closed his bedroom door before he walked into his bathroom and turned the shower on – hard and hot.

His hand automatically reached down as his thumb flicked over his piercing, "Fuck!" he cursed softly as his dick bucked into his waiting fingers. Edward set a punishing pace as images of Bella on all fours, naked, waiting; he twisted his barbell and imagined taunting Bella with the little device, rubbing it over her clit as she milked his cock, pleading for him to take her, mark her, make her his, the ensuing images sent him over the edge within minutes.

He growled as he washed his hair and body and got out. He shaved before he pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He wondered for the umpteenth time what Bella had been doing in his room.

_Was she spying on him? _The thought made him smirk.

_Just like you did to her, asshole?_ Edward growled and he walked downstairs.

He heard Bella before he saw her. She was banging pots and pans as she mumbled and cursed a blue streak.

Roscoe was sitting at the front door with a very clear message in each taut muscle of his body and his dark eyes – _get me the fuck out of here! You had better fix this mess, Ass!_

Edward winced as what sounded like a pan was either dropped or fell onto the floor, "Motherfucking ass-fucker! It's just fucking eggs! How hard can this be? Ow!"

Edward quickly checked that the front gate was closed before he led Roscoe around the side of the house and opened the side gate and let Roscoe into the back yard.

He walked back inside and walked into the great room. The first thing that Edward noticed was the smoke coming from the pan on the stove. Bella was standing in front of the sink holding her hand under running water and she stamped her feet in frustration.

"Fuck! So fucking useless!" she bit out as she let the water run freely.

Edward sprang into action by first removing the pan from the stove, turning off the plates and he flipped the switch on for the extractor fan and he pushed the back doors open. He quickly crossed to where Bella was still standing holding her hand under the cold water tap. He could see the angry welt on the inside of her wrist and the three red fingers.

_Three red fingers? How?_

"Fucking easy when you have to work with your stupid oven!" Bella began to rant and Edward realized that he had spoken aloud – _shit!_

" I didn't know that there was an element on the top of the oven – no one told me! And – Ow, shit! I only touched the top of the stove to see why the oil was smoking – your stove works backwards – OW! Fuck, Edward, that's sore! Are you even a real doctor?"

Bella shouted and whimpered for the next twenty minutes as Edward gently cooled the scorched skin, treated it with burn-shield before he gently applied a thin wrapping of gauze over her arms and band-aids to her fingers.

When he was finished, Bella had effectively threatened to ensure that everyone in a thousand mile radius around us knew that he was a sadomasochist who 'got-off' on the pain of others; she was also going to personally head up a 'smear campaign' to ensure that he lost the next mayoral election – Edward begged her to; when all of her threats had failed to deter him, Bella fell into a pouty silence, only breaking it to huff and puff dramatically.

Edward bit the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from smiling, because she was so fucking cute, thereby incurring her wrath further. He asked her to stay put and ran upstairs to fetch her thong sandals, her purse and his own flip flops.

Bella was still sitting on the counter, where Edward had put her. She was smiling to herself as she looked out of the widow at Roscoe who happened to be chasing a butterfly.

Edward looked at the kitchen and he wondered in horrified awe how Bella had managed to burn three pans and a cooking pot, break a plate and crack a mug in the space of fifteen minutes.

He shook his head – cleanup could wait, but he needed to take his Bella out for a bit and make her understand what her future could be like – if she made the correct decisions.

Edward stood in front of Bella and he gently picked up first one foot and then the other as he slipped the flat leather sandals that had been in her shopping bag from Alice the previous week.

"Come on, love", Edward said with a smile as he gently wrapped one hand around her waist and pulled her towards him by holding onto her 'good' hand.

Bella shook her head, "Look at this mess, Edward."

Bella was pouting and Edward had to steel himself against kissing her there.

Edward shrugged, "It will still be here when we get home, please come with me, Bella. Take a chance and trust me, please."

Suddenly Bella knew that they weren't talking about an outing, this was about them, their relationship, whatever it was and wherever it may lead them.

"I do trust you, Edward. I'm just scared; I don't want to be hurt."

Edward reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand, "I can't promise that we will never fight or that I will never let you down but I am your friend, Bella…" Edward's voice broke off when he realized that he was saying too much, it was too soon.

Instead he smiled at her and took her down from the counter before he said goodbye to Roscoe and closed the back door.

Bella watched as Edward picked up his keys, wallet and his sunglasses, "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Out for breakfast – unless you want to stay and eat what you…"

"Okay! Time to go!" Bella all but shouted as she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room towards the front door.

Once they were in the car, Edward headed out of town and Bella was silent for a while as she watched the scenery go by, "Where are we going?" she asked when they turned away from the road that would take them into Woodstock.

"We are going to broaden your horizons a little bit. Rosalie told me that you need to book for your learners license and I offered to take you, so we are going for breakfast in Hartford and then you are booking your license before we go to the Adult learning centre to find out exactly when the GED's are written and how much time you have."

Bella opened and closed her mouth several times before she said, "I don't have everything with me."

"Yes you do, the folder from my dad is on the back seat and you have your purse with your social security card, right?"

Bella nodded.

"Great, so we are all set! And after we have done that, I want to take you somewhere and show you something, okay?"

"Okay."

As Bella's fingers tightened on each other, Edward took her uninjured hand in his and put it onto his leg and covered it with his own.

Bella sighed and leaned her head against the head rest.

"Don't let me go." She whispered.

Edward's fingers tightened on hers gently, "I'm right here."

=====HS=====

A few hours later Bella was once again wondering where they were headed. She was sure that they were not on their way home; they were going in the wrong direction.

She was almost too tired to ask where they were going. Her learner's permit test had been booked for the following week and after much deliberation and one argument, she had booked to take the GED in December. She had wanted to delay taking the test until March but Edward had disagreed with her and so had the guidance councilor who was on the staff of the Learning Centre. The woman was very helpful and she had made several suggestions that would help smooth the path for Bella's degree. The woman had suggested that Bella enroll at the local community college for two years, when she would be able to transfer to university and she could continue towards her teaching degree – provided that she transferred to a university that recognized her college credits.

Bella's head was spinning with all of the information, there was talk of summer school and electives to earn more credits and by the time that they left, Bella was more than a little cranky.

Edward took her to a bistro style restaurant and after an early and filling lunch, Edward ushered her into his car where he lowered her back rest a little and handed her a spare pair of sunglasses to keep the sun out of her eyes.

"Sleep love, we are going to be driving for a while." Was all he said.

Bella closed her eyes and the low hum of the engine soon lulled her to sleep.

Edward had not brought up what had happened that morning, and he knew that Bella was tense as she waited for him to bring it up. He was curious about what she was doing in his room and every time he remembered the sight of Bella with that 'deer in the headlights' look on her face on her hands and knees, he was torn between laughing his ass off, or spanking one out.

Bella felt someone gently shake her shoulder and she mumbled and stretched in her sleep as her eyes fluttered open.

"Wake up sleepy head, we are here." Edward's voice rumbled low in his chest and he couldn't resist brushing some stray strands of her warm brown hair from her cheek.

Bella tilted her face into Edward's gentle touch and she hummed contentedly.

"Hey there, are you awake?"

Bella's eyes opened and she jumped a little, "Oh! Sorry! Um, Hi." She said as she quickly wiped her mouth to make sure that she wasn't drooling.

She looked at Edward from under her lashes. He looked so yummy with his wind tussled hair and his warm green eyes that crinkled slightly at the corners.

Bella licked her lips as her gaze dropped to Edward's pink lips that were looking all too kissable.

He cleared his throat and her eyes flew up to meet his, _oh yeah; he was fully aware that she had been checking him out! Ass._

Edward smirked as he climbed out of his car and walked, okay, jogged around to open Bella's door for her with a flourish.

_She was totally checking me out! _

Bella rolled her eyes but she took the hand that he offered her and she blushed because she never took anyone's hand and wondered if she was being too obvious.

Bella looked around them as they stood on the sidewalk, "Where are we?"

Edward pushed his hands into his back pockets and rocked back on his heels, "We are in Middlebury and this is Middlebury College."

Bella frowned as she looked around, "How far is it from home?"

"It's about a two hour drive, but you could live-"

"No! I am not leaving just because you say so! Carlisle and Esme didn't say that I have to move!" Bella snapped at him.

Edward sighed and began again, this time he stepped in front of Bella so that she was forced to look at him.

"I didn't say that you have to leave, Bella. I don't want you to leave Hope Springs. What I was going to say is that it might be easier to live on campus during the week and then you can come home over weekends. Just look around, that's all, keep an open mind. I thought that we could pick up a catalogue while we are here so that you can see what the requirements are for attending university here."

Bella looked around her. There were students hurrying one way and another. A couple of boys walked past her and one of them began to smile at Bella but changed his mind when she glared at him.

Edward chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders as he guided her towards the administration block, "Come on _Miss Happy_."

Bella growled at him but she hide a smile as she snuggled against his side, "By the way, what is your tattoo on your side, I only caught a glimpse of it last night." She asked.

She elbowed Edward's side when she heard his laugh, "I was just curious!"

Edward stopped walking and looked down at her, "Is that what happened this morning? Were you 'just curious' then too?"

Bella could feel her face turn beet red but she refused to look away from Edward's bright green gaze.

"I was actually. When I woke up, I realized that you had carried me to bed and I know that we didn't part on the best of terms. I didn't like fighting with you last night and I just needed to, um, check that you were still there, you know. I didn't like fighting with you last night." She said quietly.

Bella didn't register that she was standing toe to toe with Edward, and her small fingers were stroking his soft T-shirt on his chest as she stared up at him. "Anyway, you moved and Ross ran in and thought it was a game and then I rolled over and bumped against the doorframe and then you woke up, and I felt like a crazy, stalker person – so I hid." She finished talking and bit down on her bottom lip.

Edward felt his abdominal muscles twitch beneath her fingers, even as his cock tried to break out of his shorts. Thank fuck he was wearing a loose T-shirt over his shorts that was quite long or else he would be showing his lack of discipline to a lot more people!

Edward smiled at Bella indulgently and with great humor as he tucked a stand of soft hair behind her ears, "Honey, curling up into a ball in the middle of my bedroom floor isn't hiding if I can still see you. Anyway, you know, you could have always just climbed into bed with me. Hey!"

The last word was said in protest as Bella drew her fingers back and jabbed him in the ribs. Edward sprang back and rubbed his side, "That hurt!"

Bella raised her eyebrows, 'It was supposed to! Jerk! You are so conceited, with your sex hair and those 'come screw me' eyes and that smirk that makes you think you are all that… sickening!" Bella turned around and began walking back the way that they had come, but Edward caught up to her an wrapped his arms around her middle, making her squeal, "Don't be a 'fraidy cat; come on Isabella, this could be fun!" he whispered next to her ear before he dropped a kiss on her cheek.

Bella turned around and looked at him, "Why did you call me that?" she asked softly as she touched her cheek where his lips had been.

"Call you what? Isabella? Well that's your name isn't it? Don't you like that name?"

Bella's cheeks were a little pink a she blushed and nodded, almost coyly, "I like it when you say it. No one has ever called me that before. I've always been just plain old Bella. It makes me feel, I don't know, grown up and proper." She said with a shrug.

"You are very grown up and you are very 'proper', and I'm glad that you like me calling you that, because I think that it is a very beautiful name for a very beautiful woman." Edward stepped closer as he traced her jaw with a finger and stared deep into her eyes, "Isabella, you could never, ever be 'plain, old. You are extraordinary Bella, and don't let anyone ever tell you differently." By the time that he had stopped talking, Bella was completely captivated by his voice and his hypnotizing eyes that she had to blink several times to 'wake' herself up.

Bella knew that her knees would have given way there and then if Edward hadn't linked her arm through his and tugged her towards the admin block.

The two women in admissions were only too happy to give her a catalogue of courses as well as a prospectus for the university. They also gave Bella the contact details of one of the councilors on staff, who they said, would be able to assist her with her 'university career path'.

Edward took Bella to one of the small campus outdoor cafés and they sat outside eating ice-cream as they chatted.

Edward watched Bella as she tried to pretend not to be looking around her, even though her eyes were as big as saucers and he could see the excitement that made her cheeks pink and her eyes sparkle.

She was so damn beautiful and he was grateful that he could share this experience with her.

Bella licked her lips, "How many people go to this school?"

Edward shrugged, "I think about four thousand or five thousand, why?"

"I was just wondering. When are we going home?"

"I thought that you would enjoy a day out," he said.

Bella frowned, "I did, I mean I have, but I keep thinking about that mess that I left behind, and I'm sure that Roscoe misses us, I mean you."

Edward laughed, "Its okay, I know that he is going to miss you when you leave. I'm going to have to bring him over for a 'play date'." Edward was joking but when he saw how Bella's face lit up, he knew that he would have to get used to sharing his dog.

"Would you really?" Bella asked excitedly.

Edward's face softened, and he leaned forward, "Bella, I can promise you, that neither Roscoe nor I are going to forget you any time soon. We will be over so frequently, that you are going to get sick of us! Now, shall we take drive back home?"

Bella nodded with a small and not so quiet sigh of relief, "Please!"

Once they were back in the car, Edward asked what she had thought of the college. Bella shrugged as she cast another look around, "It's okay, I guess. Is this where I would have to go?"

"Not at all, I just wanted to give you an idea of what a college campus was like. There are several other colleges and universities in Vermont. You could also go out of state if you wanted to."

Bella was shaking her head vigorously, "No, I'm staying here, I already told you that!" She said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Edward nodded, "Well then, in that case, we can get onto the internet later and see what there is out there, but I need to warn you, love, there are no colleges or universities close to Hope Springs that you can drive to each day. It just doesn't make sense so wherever you decide to attend college, you need to know that you will have to live in res or a student house during the week and then you could come home from a Friday to a Sunday."

At the sad look on her face his voice softened, "Fridays will become my favorite day of the week."

Bella dipped her head down as she blushed and smiled to herself.

They were quiet for a while as they drove towards Hope Springs and then Bella spoke again, "You know, you never answered my question about your tattoo, is it some kind of secret?"

Edward shook his head and instead held out his arm, "You see what's on this cuff?"

Bella reached out and pulled his hand closer, "Oh yeah, your brothers also wear this and doesn't your mom and your sisters have bracelets or something?"

Edward nodded, "Very observant. This is the Cullen family crest. My father and Emmett each have a signet ring with the crest on it. Jasper and I have these cuffs, my mother has a bracelet, Bree will get a locket on her sixteen birthday, and Alice and Rose were each given a locket on their wedding day with a picture of their husband's inside. Well after my 'rebellious stage' I decided to have the lion in the crest tattooed onto my side as a reminder of who I am and where I come from." He said quietly.

Bella had forgotten that she still held Edward's hand in hers and her fingers were tracing his long tapered ones lightly. "You are so lucky Edward; I wish I knew who my 'people' were and where I come from."

Edward's fingers tightened in hers. She sounded so sad, "Don't you know anything about your folks?"

Bella pulled Edward's hand into her lap as she moved closer to his side, "I know that my father was a cop, the social worker gave me the deed to the car, the keys and an envelope with my name on it. His name was Charles, but somehow I keep thinking about him being called Charlie and I had a doll called Charlie, maybe it's a coincidence. Anyway, his shield was in the envelope with a photograph and two hundred dollars." Bella said quietly.

"Well there you see that's something to begin with. We should tell Emmett, so that he can put this together with the information that he already has." He sounded excited but he looked at Bella when she didn't say anything to him only to find her nibbling on her lip and staring out of the window.

"Hey, what's bugging you?"

Bella sighed, "You are going to think that I'm crazy. First of all I complain because I don't know who my family was and now I'm wigging because I'm going to know who they were. Tell me that isn't crazy!" she said with a false laugh.

"That is not crazy, Bella. It's a scary thing after all of these years to find out who your parents were."

Bella nodded, "And it's like what if they weren't like _your _parents? What if they didn't want me?"

As Edward was about to answer her, his phone rang and he pulled over to the curb and stopped the truck. He felt suddenly anxious when he saw who was calling. He pulled out his phone and he jabbed at the keypad sharply.

Edward was out of his seat and out of the car in a matter of seconds. Bella watched as he paced back and forwards, tugging on his hair.

Bella watched as he barked into his phone as he shook his head. Several times he looked at her through the windshield before he shook his head and turned away, only to pace again. He disconnected the call and shoved the phone into his pocket as he resumed pacing.

Finally Bella couldn't stand another minute of suspense and she opened her door. Edward's head shot up and he stared at her as if he had forgotten that she was there.

"Edward? Are you okay? Who was on the phone?" she asked nervously.

Edward walked towards her, his expression softening, "Emmett has news about your past. He wants to see you tonight."

"_Tonight ?_ NO! I'm not ready! I can't… God, Edward, I can't do this! What, what, I can't…"

"Breath, Bella, just breath. Look Bella, you don't have to do this. Nobody will care if you find that your father was a prince or a pauper. Who your parents are don't make one bit of difference to your life, or who you are, unless you let them. Now, we can go and you can hear what Emmett has to say, or you can call Emmett back and tell him that you don't want to know. You have a choice Bella, this is your life." Bella had calmed down while Edward had been talking.

When he had finished Bella took a deep breath, "Okay, can I think about it before I decide?"

Edward nodded as he walked over and opened her door for her before he grasped her hips and lifted her into the seat.

Bella felt as if her body was on fire where his hands had touched her.

Neither said much as they drove home and once there, Edward shooed Bella up the stairs to take a nap despite her loud protests about the kitchen.

Bella lay down with no intention of falling asleep but she was out like a light when Edward checked on her five minutes later.

Edward had no intention of trying to clean the burned pots and ruined utensils and once he made sure that she was asleep, he piled everything up and put it in the trash along with the discarded half cooked breakfast.

He cleaned the kitchen until there was no trace of the earlier disaster and Roscoe agreed to go back inside after taking a cautious look around the great room.

Edward fetched his laptop and went on line to one of his favorite stores to order another set of cookware for himself. On impulse he phoned his mother to find out how far they had gone on the makeover of the garage apartment.

Esme laughed breathlessly when she answered the phone and he could hear lots of noise as well as his nieces and nephews in the background.

Apparently the 'facelift' was almost complete. Esme had phoned Billy, who had spoken to Jake, who had called in some favors and by that evening the new coats of paint would be done. The floors had been washed and polished and Esme was working with Alice and Rosalie to restock and fill the closets with everything that Bella would need, from cleaning products to linen, towels and dish towels. When Edward told his mother his idea for Bella's housewarming gift, she thought that it was a brilliant idea, which she agreed to set up for him. He cautioned her not to make Bella's rooms too girly and Esme agreed.

Edward found what he was looking for online and punched in his credit card details. He hoped that she would like his gift.

He knew that Bella could cook a little, but he wanted her to be able to survive living alone and cooking for herself, so he bought her a eight week cooking course that ranged from the basics to cooking for one to learning to cook from different nationalities. He also ordered her some of his mother's favorite cookbooks as well as a couple that were recommended by the chef that was running the course from his very popular restaurant in the neighboring town of Redding. Esme had agreed that she would drive Bella to and from classes.

Bella woke up and saw that it was already close to five o'clock in the afternoon. She had a shower and dressed in the pretty dress that she had bought from Alice's store before she went to look for Edward.

She found him sprawled on a sofa in the great room, reading a novel that she had seen on one of the end tables.

Edward looked up when he heard her walk in to the room, "Hey, did you have a good sleep?"

Bella nodded as she ran her hands through her hair to get it to air-dry, "I slept like a log! You should have woken me; I didn't mean to sleep for almost two hours!" Bella smiled as she walked over and perched on the end of the sofa as Edward scooted up.

"Is that a good book?" She asked as she eyed the cover.

Edward nodded, "I enjoy Cormac McCarthy and I haven't read this one. What are you reading now?"

They spent the next few minutes talking about books before Bella looked at the kitchen, "Did you clean up by yourself?" She asked as she looked at the pristine surfaces.

Edward laughed as he got up and began to prepare Roscoe's evening meal. "Why is that so surprising?"

Bella shrugged, "Well, it's just that the people that I've lived with, well the men never even lifted a plate, never mind a cloth to wipe anything. Do you do all of your cleaning?"

Edward smiled at her as he worked at the center island, "Well, my mother would have a huge problem with any of her children not being able to cook, clean or do laundry! We all had chores to do at home and she taught us all how to cook and bake! I have a woman that comes in twice a month to do heavy cleaning and washing windows but otherwise, yeah, it's all on me."

Bella nodded. The more she found out about Edward and the rest of the Cullen's the more she realized that they were nothing like she had first thought. They didn't seem to be spoilt, or stuck up at all.

"Bella?" She looked up to find Edward watching her, "Have you given anymore thought to Emmett's invitation?"

Bella chewed on her bottom lip for a few minutes before she looked at Edward, "Okay, I'll do it, but do you think that you could stay with me? I mean, I just don't want to have to tell you afterwards, you know."

Edward nodded and smiled, "Sure I will." He said before he called Roscoe in from the back yard.

He packed all the food away before he spoke again, "Well, we are invited for dinner, so I'm just going to change and then we can leave, okay?"

Bella went upstairs to put on the red sandals that matched the pretty floral dress. After looking at her hair, she decided to leave it loose. She needed to go shopping soon so that she could get some personal items. She wanted to get some hair-grips and ties and she also needed to get other items. She really needed to get some more panties and bras.

Edward knocked on her open door, "You look very pretty, Bella. Is that a new dress?"

Bella nodded, "Thanks, I bought it from Alice's shop. You look very nice yourself." Bella said as she blushed as she stared at him in a pair of light colored chinos and a dark blue t-shirt.

"Are you ready?"

Bella walked in front of Edward down the stairs. Roscoe was sitting at the front door. Bella could see that he was almost beside himself with excitement.

Edward shook his head in amusement, "How do you even know that you are invited, boy?"

Roscoe gave one bark and stood up so that Edward could open the door.

"Well you are lucky that Rosie likes your ugly face or else you would be spending the night at home alone!"

Roscoe barked again and Bella laughed as Edward chastised him for pushing Bella out of the way so that he could get to the car first.

"Excuse my dog that has lost his manners, Bella, but when it comes to going out, it is every man for himself as far as Roscoe is concerned."

Bella let out a soft giggle and Edward groaned internally. If she kept doing that, he was going to be in big trouble.

"Um, so, are your parents going to be at Emmett's tonight as well?"

Edward frowned, "No, it's just us. Remember that Emmett promised you that he would tell you first and then either you could pass on any information that you wanted to or he could if you gave him permission. Why do you ask?"

Bella was staring out of her window but Edward could see that she was frowning and chewing on her lip as she tapped her fingers on the hand rest. Edward had noticed that tapping her fingers seemed to be a habit that she did whenever she was thinking or worrying about something.

"Bella?"

Bella jump, "Huh?"

"Why did you ask if Mom and Dad are going to be there?"

"Oh! Well, I think, no, I know that I would like them to be there, you know, so that we can all know together. Even Alice and Jasper, but it's not like they will drop all of their plans just to listen to my pathetic life story, so don't worry, it was just a thought." Bella said before she gave Edward a fake smile and turned to look outside again.

Edward sighed and bit back a growl as he pulled into Emmett's driveway.

"Isabella?"

Bella turned around to look at him.

Edward made sure that he kept eye contact with her because it seemed one way to convey to Bella that he was serious, "Would you like my parents, Jasper and Alice to come over tonight? Forget about being a burden or any other ridiculous notion that you have conjured up and just answer the damn question – do you want them here or not?"

For a moment he could see her temper flare at his bossy tone of voice but then she bit her lip and answered quietly, "I would like everyone here with me if you don't mind."

Edward leaned forward before he could over think his actions and he clasped her chin in his fingers as he stared into her wide brown orbs, "That's my girl. You just need to ask, okay, love?"

Bella nodded and Edward leaned forward to press his lips to the corner of her mouth.

He heard the gasp that escaped her lips and he felt her fingers reach for his white button down but he pulled back and smiled brilliantly at her, "Another time, Isabella, but for now, let's go."

Bella was still in a daze as Edward opened her door and helped her out. She stumbled against him slightly and he gave a breathless chuckle as he steadied her and without saying a word he opened the door for Roscoe, who didn't wait but instead he raced around the front yard before hurrying around the side of the house without looking back.

Bella could hear shouts of welcome from the children to the dog as she and Edward followed the path around the side of the house.

Emmett and Rosalie were sitting on large cushioned chairs on their back deck, while Jed and Emma ran around the yard with Roscoe.

Emmett smiled when he saw Bella and he immediately stood up and walked over to hug her, "Hello, Bella, it's good to see you."

Bella found herself returning the hug before she was pulled into Rosalie's arms and she got another hug.

"Aunt Bella! Over here!" Bella looked up to see Jed and Emma waving to her wildly. She giggled as Roscoe tossed his ball to Jed and waved back.

"Okay let's go and get drinks, little brother. Bella what would you like to drink?"

"A soda of some sort will be great, Emmett, thanks."

When Edward and Emmett walked inside Edward told him that Bella wanted the rest of the family there and Emmett smiled, "She is really brave, that little one. She doesn't know what I'm going to tell her, and yet she still wants us around! Well I think that it's a great idea, I'm gonna call Dad and Jas." He walked over to the wall phone in the kitchen and in a few minutes he was rubbing his hands together. "They'll be here in ten minutes – looks like we're about to have a potluck dinner!"

When Emmett informed Rosalie that her dinner party had just gone from four adults to eight adults, one teenager and four children, she nodded with a laugh and asked Bella to help her reset the dining room table.

Bella felt terrible and tried to apologize to Rosalie who just shook her head and smiled, "Bella, this happens more than you think, please don't stress about it. The week is so busy with school, my practice, Emmett's home practice and his office that we really are easy going over weekends. We usually see friends for dinners or lunches and with summer drawing to a close; we try and get the most out of every day."

Rosalie's dining room was a part of the open plan area and the enormous table could seat at least sixteen people.

"This was an old kitchen counter that Emmett and I salvaged and we refinished. I don't like things that are too matchy-matchy, so that's why none of the chairs are the same."

Bella ran her hand over the smooth warm wood. "It's beautiful. How old is it?"

Rosalie glowed with pride a she adjusted the bowls of fruit in the middle of the table, "This piece is about three hundred years old. It is from a monastery in France. I just fell in love with the worn wood and the way it has aged. Also this is from a solid piece of timber which is amazing considering that it is almost sixteen feet long."

Just then the front door opened and then chaos erupted. But rather than be overwhelmed as she first was, Bella found herself welcoming the mass of hugs, well wishes and endless questions.

"_Hey there Aunty Bella, you look pretty, are you feeling better?" - _Chelsea

"_How are you? Oh that dress looks gorgeous on you, new stock came in, wait till you see it!" - _Alice

"_Where was you, Belle?" - _Brady

"_Are you feeling better?" - _Bree

"_Are you eating enough?" - _Esme

"_Shouldn't you be resting young lady?" _- Carlisle

What Bella really found so funny was that no one stopped to get an answer from her. She was hugged and kissed and then passed on to the next person.

When she found herself at the end of the line, Jasper was grinning at her with amusement.

"Hey there Bella. How are you doing?"

"Um, fine?" she said uncertainly.

Jasper laughed, "Don't worry, Bells, I was born a Cullen and my family still have that effect on me." His smile faded and he took one of her hands in his, "I'm really sorry for your loss Bella."

For the first time since she had met Jasper, Bella really looked at him properly. She looked past the rakish good looks and the charming smile with the cleft chin and slight dimples and she saw the man who was sympathetic and warm. She also saw past the flint-eyed 'cop' that she had seen before as well as the scheming 'shrink' that she had caught hints of and she realized that unlike most of his family he was quite shy and was far quieter in nature.

Bella smiled up at him as she warmed to the genuine affection etched into his smile, "Thank you Jasper. That means a lot to me. You aren't the type of person to say something that you don't mean."

He shook his head, "You are right – I don't. I can't imagine what you have been through or what happened to you before you came here, but I want you to know that if you need anything, or if you just would like to talk to someone; I'm here. I really am sorry about before."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

Bella watched him look around quickly to see where Alice and his mother were in proximity to the two of them, before Jasper smiled more broadly and Bella saw a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Just like you, I don't like _bullshit_ either!"

Bella laughed and shook her head, "So the Sherriff is afraid to let his wife and mother hear him use a cuss word?"

Jasper nodded, "Definitely! Alice may be small but she packs a punch and my mother, well she will make you sit on the front step with soap in your mouth for five minutes or more if she catches you cussing!"

Bella smiled, "Let me guess, May-May rules?"

Jasper winked at her and put his arm around her shoulders as he led them into the dining room where everyone was taking a seat, "You are going to fit in just fine, Bells, you already know about the rules and everything – welcome to the family, kid!"

Jasper pulled a chair back with a flourish and Bella sat down. She noticed that she was sitting in between Edward and Bree. She hadn't seen Bree since the night that she babysat and she wondered what Bree thought about her hidden pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage.

"How are you Bree?" Bella asked quietly.

The teenager smiled at her shyly, "Oh Bella! I have so much to tell you! I can't wait for you to move into the garage apartment – we are going to have so much fun together!"

"I don't think that I'll be having too much fun Bree, I've got tons of studying that I need to do, which reminds me; I have got to find an internet café near here – do we have something like that in town?"

Bree nodded, "Well, it's not really an internet café, but Mrs. Cope has a couple of desktops at the post office that you can use and I think that she is quite reasonable in what she charges."

"Mrs. Cope? Oh yeah, I met her, she looks kind of scary with all of that orange hair," Bella said with a smirk.

Bree giggled, "Scary isn't half of it – do you know that she is Edward's neighbor?"

Bella's eyebrows shot up past her hair-line, "Really? I haven't seen her this week."

Bree giggled, "Well, I am sure that it wasn't for lack of trying, Mrs. Cope is our town gossip, along with Darla who works in the Sheriff's office - they can spread a story faster than a wildfire in June! Why do you think that Edward has virtual woodland around his house? He had Mr. Cope, who is the sweetest man under the sun by the way, plant and move as many mature trees and fast growing shrubs around his house and that was after he had put up the ten foot perimeter boundary fence!" Bella and Bree were giggling when Edward's hand patted Bella's knee, drawing her attention towards him, "What are you two 'dizzy Lizzies' giggling about?" he asked quietly.

Bella felt herself blush spread over her cheeks as she felt his warm hand through the light dress fabric.

Bella smiled up at him, "Well, she was telling me about Mrs. Cope's mad spy skills."

She loved the way that Edward's eyes crinkled at the corners and he smiled at her and his wild hair stuck out in all different directions, which only made Bella want to run her hands through it and she tried to focus on what he was saying to her.

"…the final blow was when I caught her standing on a step ladder, peering over the fence, while she was on the phone with Darla, telling her whether I was a 'briefs or boxers' man! It was laundry day and I was hanging up the washing!" Bella looked up to find Esme and Carlisle smiling at the story but there was something more in Esme's eyes – almost satisfaction, while Carlisle's steady gaze showed curiosity and speculation.

Bella straightened up as Rosalie and Alice finished dishing up dinner for the children and they finally sat down.

As they all joined hands so that Emmett could say the blessing, Bella found her hand tucked into Edward's and resting on his jean covered thigh and she never heard a word, except the last words, "…please be with Bella as she hears about her past and let her know that no matter what is said tonight, that she was never a mistake; or an accident. You never make mistakes and Bella was meant to live every moment of her life that has brought her here, right where you want her to be. Thank You Lord, Amen."

Bella felt Edward's hand squeeze hers briefly before he let it go.

One of the many conversations that Edward and Bella had over the past week was her absolute refusal to have anything to do with church. One afternoon, Rosalie had popped by to invite Bella to a group support meeting, aptly named 'Broken Treasures', that met twice a month to support women that had suffered a loss of someone close to them. Bella had not been adverse to the idea until Rosalie had told her that it was run by Craig and Betty Biers, the Cullen's pastor and his wife.

Bella had politely declined and when Edward had pressed her for a reason, she had exploded at him about how the 'church did not want people like her' and she had refused to talk about it again. At the time Edward had just let it drop, because she had enough to deal with. He knew that at some point, a pastor or a church had rejected her.

Dinner proved to be a mishmash of different dinners that all worked together to form one delicious meal. Esme had brought their dinner of grilled lamb cutlets, broiled baby potatoes and a salad of couscous, snow peas, carrots, capsicum, and slices of mango, tomato and spring onions served with a lovely dressing. Alice had made Mac 'n cheese for the children, a large roast chicken salad with freshly made crusty bread rolls. Rosalie had made a mountain of sticky pork ribs and chicken wings that she had made with a mountain of French fries and a fresh garden salad as well as a rice salad.

Bella could not help grinning as she watched the way that the Cullen's were with each other. The three brothers teased and laughed easily with each other but instead of excluding their wives and sister, they drew them into their lighthearted conversation. Bella wasn't ignored either, but she noticed that other than topical subjects, such as who stole Jessica's latest addition to her cow obsession, her large cow outdoor letter box, which had apparently gone missing, there was no talk of the investigation that Emmett had conducted.

After dinner, the men insisted that the women enjoy some time on the deck, while they and the children helped to clean up the remnants of dinner.

Rosalie disappeared and came back outside with a bottle of chocolate liqueur and four shot glasses.

Bella began to shake her head but Rosalie put the tray down with purpose before she turned to face Bella, "Look Bells, we all know that you have been through a really shit week and there is nothing that we can do to ease that pain, except to walk along side you and love you through it. But once in a while you need to kick loose and say 'to hell with it!' and sit back and relax. Once shot is not going to hurt you but it may just loosen you up to hear what Emmett has to say."

Bella looked from Alice to Rosalie and finally to Esme who smiled at her, "We got your back, Bella." She said softly. Bella picked up the glass and sniffed it, her eyes rolled back in her head, as she smelled the dark, rich, sinful smell of the chocolate.

She gave a nod to the others who grinned at her as they touched glasses to each other's and with a quiet 'cheers', they sipped their drinks.

Bella's eyes began to water before her face grew red and she began to cough as Alice looked at Rosalie and muttered, "Lightweight!" and the sisters snorted.

Bella scrunched up her nose as she glared at the glass and then at the women gathered around her, "That shit is just plain nasty! Oh my God, it's gross!"

"What's gross? What's going on out here? Love, are you okay? What did they – _oh no you didn't! Bella doesn't drink! What were you thinking?_" Edward had come outside when he heard Bella's loud exclamation. He knew exactly what his family had been up to – the three adult women in his life loved to 'sneak' away and have shots of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, and as soon as Edward had seen the bottle, the glass in Bella's hand and the disgusted look on her face, he knew that they had offered her some.

Esme rolled her eyes as Edward rushed to Bella's side, whipped the glass out of her hand and put a protective arm around her shoulders. Alice opened her mouth but one look at her mother-in-law's warning look and the sharp shake of her head made Alice snap her mouth shut with a snap.

Edward looked from one to the other with an irritated glare, before he looked down at Bella. He used his thumb to wipe a stray tear from her coughing fit from under her lashes, "Emmett said to come in when you are ready." He said softly.

Bella cuddled into his side for a moment before she realized what she was doing and she shifted away from him quickly and squared her shoulders as she took a deep breath.

"Let's do it." She said quietly and she walked inside without looking at anyone.

Edward glared at Esme, Alice, and Rosalie, "Seriously? You three should know better than to give alcohol to a – a _teenager_!"

As he said the word he winced, which made Alice laugh harder, "Oh yeah! A _teenager_ that someone has the hots for!" She sniggered as she pushed past him.

"I do not!" he spat out, "And could you keep your damn voice down! I don't want Bella to hear that! You are going to freak her out!" He growled and walked inside.

Esme, Alice and Rosalie watched as he stalked over to Bella's side, where he steered her to a sofa in the sitting room.

"How does he not know?" Alice asked quietly.

"Oh, I think he knows and that is what is scaring the crap out of him! Look at the way he looks at her, and the way that she looks at him when she thinks no one is watching!" Rosalie retorted.

"Girls, I want you to leave them alone, you hear? Let them work this out themselves. She is so vulnerable right now and definitely not ready for a relationship and he has to learn to allow himself to feel something that he won't run away from. I think that there is a long and rocky road ahead for both of them." Esme said quietly.

Just then, Emmett walked into the room, "Okay, Bree has agreed to get the kids settled and she will read them a story, so Bella? Are you ready? Are you sure that you want everyone here?" He asked.

Bella could feel everyone's eyes on her but she refused to look around. Instead she looked up at the man that had come to mean so much to her, that she was terrified of her feelings.

Edward smiled at her, "None of this makes any difference to us, right?"

Bella nodded and gave him a quick smile in return before she looked up at Emmet, "I'm sure, and I'm um, g-grateful that you all came here for me."

"Okay; Bella this is your story. If you want to stop at any time, you just say the word, understand?"

Bella whispered that she understood.

Everyone turned to look at Emmett as he opened a storage box and pulled out an item, Bella gasped, "You are shitting me!"

**A/N: PLEASE DON'T HATE THE WRITER! I'm sorry but I had to end this chapter there! I promise that I will update soon so that you are not kept waiting too long to find out what Bella's past is all about. Thank you all so much for your continued love and support for Hope Springs.**

**Hugs,**

**Michele**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

_*****WARNING: THIS CHAPTER WILL CONTAIN SCENES OF CHILD ABUSE!*****_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 11 - **_

_**Just then, Emmett walked into the room, "Okay, Bree has agreed to get the kids settled and she will read them a story, so Bella? Are you ready? Are you sure that you want everyone here?" He asked.**_

_**Bella could feel everyone's eyes on her but she refused to look around. Instead she looked up at the man that had come to mean so much to her that she was terrified of her feelings.**_

_**Edward smiled at her, "None of this makes any difference to us, right?"**_

_**Bella nodded and gave him a quick smile in return before she looked up at Emmet, "I'm sure, and I'm um, g-grateful that you all came here for me."**_

"_**Okay; Bella this is your story. If you want to stop at any time, you just say the word, understand?"**_

_**Bella whispered that she understood.**_

_**Everyone turned to look at Emmett as he opened a storage box and pulled out an item, Bella gasped, "You are shitting me!"**_

**CHAPTER 12 – REVELATIONS AND GOODBYES**

Bella's eyes were wide and her mouth hung open when she saw the small baby doll that Emmett held in his large hands. Bella blinked as her vision became bleary with unshed tears, "Charlie…" she whispered so softly that Edward only heard her because they had shifted closer together.

"_Charlie?" _Edward said.

Bella nodded with a weak smile as she dashed tears off her cheeks, "Yeah, that's my um, dolly Charlie. I lost him, well he was taken away from me just after I got to the home, I think. I remember the girl that took him from me." Her large tear-filled eyes looked at Emmett, "Where and how did you ever find him? I thought he was broken. She was staring at the grimy but still pretty doll with such longing and sadness that Emmett had to swallow the huge lump in his throat to carry on talking.

"So, my contact found 'Charlie' here in a box in the basement of Phoenix Children's Home. It seems that you were one of the very sad cases that seemed to have fallen through the cracks and the bureaucraticy of Child Services*, the DCF*, the Widows and orphans of Arizona Fund* and several other agencies and departments, Bella. But I am getting ahead of myself. Would you like to hold him?" he asked holding Charlie out to Bella.

She hand was trembling as she stretched it out and when her fingers closed over the rubber arm, her tears fell unabated.

"Charlie… I missed you…" she whispered as she tenderly stroked the doll's rosy cheek, while Rosalie got up silently and she fetched two boxes of tissues. She handed one box to Esme and one to Edward.

She touched the soft body of the dirty and dusty blue onesie that the baby was dressed in before she looked up at Edward, "I named him Charlie after my dad, I think".

Edward nodded but didn't say anything.

Finally Bella looked up at Emmett, "There's more?"

Emmett smiled sadly, "There is so much more, Bells. Your father _was_ a policeman; in fact he was Police Chief Charles Basil Swan, who transferred from a small town called Forks, in Washington, which is where you were born. Your mother Renee Marie Swan died in a car accident just a month after you were born. She was on the way home from the doctor's office and she hit a patch of black ice. Charlie, who was Police Chief at the time, did his very best to raise you alone. When you were three, he was offered a position in the Phoenix Police Department. The pay was better, the weather was definitely better and from what I've learned Charlie never got over losing your mother, so he packed up and moved you to Phoenix, Arizona."

Bella didn't know when she had moved, but when Emmett paused, she found herself almost lying across Edward's lap. She didn't care; she just clutched the warm hand that Edward had curled around her stomach a little tighter as Emmett went on.

"Unfortunately just after your fourth birthday, incidentally, this is when you received your 'Charlie doll', according to the two men that I met that were good friends of your father. Anyway, Charlie Swan was killed in the line of duty. Some crazy man was arrested after he beat his wife and he was being moved to a holding cell, when he grabbed the gun of one of the officers, your father stepped in to try and de-escalate the situation and he was shot twice at close range. Charlie died instantly."

Emmett stopped when Esme and Alice gasped and quickly left the room. Edward looked down at the beautiful woman in his arms. Bella was staring at the doll that she held clutched in her hands. Her knuckles were white and her body was stiff in Edward's arms.

"Bella, are you okay to carry on?" Edward asked.

For a moment, he didn't think that she was going to answer him until she lifted eyes that didn't really see him, "Do you know why I named him _Charlie_? I called him that because my father Charlie couldn't find a 'girl' doll for my birthday. These were all the rage but all of the girl dolls were sold out, so he bought this one for me and told me that I was special because I had a 'boy' doll, while everyone else had a 'girl' doll." Bella whispered.

Bella blinked and her vision cleared, "I remembered! Oh god, Edward, I remembered that! I remembered him, Charlie, the man from my photo – I could see him, he was so tall and his hand felt so big and warm in mine – he used to tickle me with his mustache when he gave me butterfly kisses and he used to let me ride on his shoulders! Oh my God, do you know what this means, Edward?" she didn't wait for an answer but jumped up and began to pace away from him, completely forgetting about the fact that his entire family was sitting in front of her.

"What, love?" he said, smiling at her. He could not get over how beautiful she was, red, puffy, swollen and runny nose, and all.

Bella did not even try to stem the flow of her tears as she turned to him, beaming, "_They wanted me!_ I wasn't thrown away like worthless trash – my parents – they wanted me! They didn't leave me because they didn't love me; they left me because they didn't have a choice!"

Edward stood up and put his hand out to her, "You were never worthless trash Bella. I told you that, remember?"

Bella nodded as she tried to wipe the wetness off her face, "You did. I was afraid to believe you, because the Rawlings used to tell us that shit every fuck, _sorry_, every damn day, but they were lying to me – probably to all of us!" Bella ended on a growl but everyone turned around when they heard a low echoing growl from the other side of the room.

Emmett's face was dark with anger as he sneered, "Aaagh yes, the Rawlings, I will tell you about them but first let's talk about your stay at the group home."

Bella sat down again next to Edward and she held his hand without a second thought as she nodded to Emmett.

"Child services did try to find other relatives, but when they weren't able to, you were put into a group home. Unfortunately, you were not adopted or fostered until you were fourteen. The Rawlings has been fostering children for some time and when they saw you, they partitioned for you to live with them. Bella, I'm not going to go into details here, that story is yours to tell, but safe to say that you were severely abused by those two, along with about twenty other children over the years. I will tell you that Simon and his wife have been taken into custody and they will not be seeing the light of day for a number of years. All of the children that were under their care have been removed and a very nice couple has adopted two younger children. The two dogs were found half starved and had to be removed and put to sleep."

Bella was smiling through her tears as she heard the best news possible. She had felt so guilty for leaving them behind but now at least they had a chance at a 'normal' life.

"Were, um, were the little kids okay? Bobby and Billy were so young and I tried to protect them, but I couldn't stay…" Bella said brokenly.

Esme rushed over and pulled Bella into her arms, "Bella, no one is blaming you for leaving, Sweetheart. I know how much it must have hurt you to put yourself before them, but you have to think of what could have happened if you had stayed."

Bella nodded and finally calmed down. She excused herself to use the bathroom and to wash her face and in her absence Esme and Rosalie made tea and coffee, while Alice and Bree put the younger children to bed.

Edward couldn't sit still any longer and he walked over Emmett's liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot of whisky that he downed in one go.

Carlisle came to stand beside him and he put a comforting hand on Edward's shoulder, "Easy son, I know that this is difficult to hear, but she is so strong, she can handle it."

Edward turned tormented eyes to meet Carlisle's, "How could anyone do such evil things to children, Dad? Especially to Bella?"

"I know Edward, but there are plenty of evil minded people out there, you know that."

Edward sighed and returned to his seat.

"How bad was it, Em?" Carlisle asked.

Emmett shook his head, "When DCF and the local police raided, they found the house in an absolute pig-sty. Rawlings and his buddies had apparently set up a child porn ring of sorts and he had cameras set up in the bathroom and the bedrooms to try and get some 'movie' footage, but it looks as if Bella had caught on to his games because she apparently drummed it into the kids heads to never be alone with either of them and to change in their closets or behind towels or sheets. It seems that Bella was the one that used to cook and clean. The young ones couldn't say enough good things about her. She often used to take the blame if someone else had messed up as well."

Edward felt physically sick and by the looks of his brothers and his father's faces, they felt the same way.

Once everyone was settled again, Emmett looked at Bella, "Now, I have some very good news for you, but I'm not sure if you want to hear it alone or…"

Bella was shaking her head, "I think that we can all hear some good news. You guys have all stuck with me so far…" she smiled and received nods all around.

"Okay then, well Bella, your father provided for you in the event of his death. The thing was no one knew how to give you those benefits while you were a minor, without your foster parents benefitting. There are several polices and benefits that you have been entitled to and now that they have a permanent address for you, you will be receiving about _ninety-seven thousand dollars immediately_ as well as _a full scholarship to a university of your choice_, which will include housing and books. You also fall under your _father's health benefits until the age of twenty five_ or when you become self-supporting. There are two other policies as well as back pensions and insurances which total about _two hundred and fifty thousand dollars_ that you will receive on your twenty fifth birthday." Emmett looked up from reading to see Bella with her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Emmett asked.

"I don't get it…" Bella whispered.

Before Emmett could speak again, Edward held up his hand, and he spoke, "What Isabella?"

Bella's large tear filled eyes met his, "I thought that his badge and that money and the car were everything… why did he leave me money?" Bella's eyes grew dark, "I don't want blood money! There must be some mistake or –"

Emmett shook his head sadly, "Believe me there is no mistake. I flew to Phoenix this week to personally confirm that everything that I've told you is one hundred percent correct and true, Bella."

Edward wiped a finger over her falling tears, "Charlie obviously loved you, Isabella. You were his daughter and his family. He loved you and as a Police Chief, he would have benefits that would be paid out if he was killed in the line of duty, right Jasper?" his eyes flicked to his brother.

Jasper nodded, "This money isn't blood money Bella. This is a very inadequate 'Thank you' from the state and the country for the service that your father and every fallen police officer does by putting on the uniform each day and for putting his life on the line each shift. You were never meant to live on the streets or in your car, Bella. You were meant to be able to go to school and look after yourself. Somewhere along the line, your case got lost in the cracks and that is unacceptable but right now, you can accept your inheritance as Charles Swan's daughter. You can honor him and his memory by doing something extra ordinary with your life, Bella."

Carlisle nodded, "I think that your father would be very proud of the young woman that you have become Bella, I know that Esme and I would be privileged and blessed, if you were our birth daughter, because we are already so proud of how far you have come in the few weeks that we have known you." Bella could see that he spoke the truth but the warmth in his eyes.

Bella stood up and looked around at the people sitting in the room as the tears ran down her cheeks as she tried to regain control of her emotions, but it seemed that the more she tried, the more detached she felt.

It was too much and Bella felt the room begin to close in around her.

Suddenly her eyes widened, as she couldn't seem to breathe. She reached for Edward blindly as she struggled to inhale.

Edward leapt to his feet and seconds later Bella had been carried outside and she was placed on a chair, and a brown paper bag was pressed over her mouth as green eyes held her hostage.

"Breathe, Isabella! In! Out! That's it – slowly. Relax, love, its okay you are just having an anxiety attack. It is quite normal. Now keep looking at me – in… out… there you go – again… that's it… you are fine, love, you are just fine. Keep looking at me, I know it's scary but you are doing so well, baby. That's it, love." Edward's calm voice soothed her and Bella found herself listening to the dulcet tones and she could feel the nausea begin to recede.

Edward purposefully stroked her cheek gently in a soothing movement. He watched as her eyes went from wide and terrified to calmer, all the while her tears wet the bag. He never stopped talking, never stopped whispering sweet 'nothings' as his mother called it into her ear as he tried to convey his concern with his eyes.

Slowly Bella felt herself begin to breathe normally. Her head stopped spinning and she was able to focus on more than just Edward. She sat back in the chair and closed her eyes briefly as her body shook with a ragged breath.

Edward noticed that her hands were shaking, which was a reaction to the shock and emotional upheaval of the evening and he nodded to someone behind her and Bella was covered in a soft, warm blanket. It was tucked around her with gentle hands and a voice that she had come to love murmured in her ear, "You are going to be just fine, sweet girl. We are here now, Bella. You are not alone any longer. We will look after you." Esme pressed a kiss to Bella's forehead, but she was surprised as the distraught girl turned in her seat and wrapped her arms around Esme's middle as she began to sob.

Edward could feel his own eyes get moist as he watched as Bella clung to Esme as she cried for a father that she could barely remember and a mother that she had never known and a baby that would never know how remarkable a mother Bella would be.

Edward got up silently and walked inside while Esme walked around the chair and sat on the wooden deck, and pulled Bella against her.

She stroked the thick, chocolate hair and rocked the young woman who seemed more of a child than ever before. Her own tears ran into Bella's hair but neither of them noticed. Esme became aware that she was singing softly to Bella as she cradled and rocked her as if she was one of her grandchildren.

Bella gave a broken sigh and she allowed Esme's calm to surround her as she listened to the song that Esme had sung to one child or anther for the past thirty five years:

_**Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,  
>Smiles await you when you rise;<br>Sleep, pretty baby,  
>Do not cry,<br>And I will sing a lullaby.**_

_**Care you know not, therefore sleep;  
>While I watch over you do not weep;<br>Sleep, pretty loved one,  
>Do not cry,<br>And I will sing, I will sing,  
>I will sing a lullaby.**<strong>_

Bella's breathing slowed as small shudders shook her as she lay down and put her head in Esme's lap as the older woman stroked her hair as she hummed quietly. Finally Bella spoke, "I wish you could have been my mother."

Esme's eyes flooded with tears and she tried to hold back a sob, "Oh Bella!" she said. Bella sat up as they stared at each other. Bella loved the fact that Esme's eyes were so similar to Edward's, "Bella, Carlisle and I have only known you for a short time, but we love you, child. Don't you ever doubt that and it's going to break my heart if you ever decide to leave us, but I know that you wanted to leave the States and start over somewhere else…"

Bella was shaking her head, "May-May, I'm not going anywhere. Edward and I looked at colleges today and he tried to tell me that I could leave here, but I told him that I'm staying, if you will have me – for as long as you will let me! I don't want to leave him – you, well any of you, not when I feel as if I have just found a place where I belong for the first time in my life!" she said quickly.

Bella thought that she had covered up her slip of the tongue well, but Esme had heard her and her while she was happy that Bella wanted to stay with her and Carlisle, she was ecstatic that Bella didn't want to leave _'him' _– Esme smirked as she hugged Bella one last time before she laughingly accepted her help in standing up, she knew full well that Edward was the 'him' that Bella spoke of.

She continued in a small voice, "May, do you think that I c-could have saved my baby if I'd gone to a doctor? I would have if I'd had the money, you know. I should have taken that two hundred dollars that Charlie left me and I should have gone to a doctor…"

Esme rocked her gently, "Sweetheart, sometimes Mother Nature, or God, or whoever you believe in, just know when something isn't right, you know, physically. This is life, my sweet child, and you know more than most people how hard life can be, but at the end of the day, it's worth it and one day when you hold your child in your arms for the first time, all of this pain will be worth it, I promise you that."

"Come on sweetie, before Carlisle has to tie Edward down and get Emmett to sit on him!" The two women wiped their faces as they walked inside to the sitting room.

When they found the room empty, they followed the sound of quiet voices into the kitchen and found Carlisle, Emmett and Edward sitting at the counter.

Edward stayed where he was, but Esme could see by his tense body language and the way that he had obviously been raking his fingers through his hair, which was standing on end and the warning glance from Carlisle that he was struggling to keep his seat. She could see the lines of worry on his face and she noticed that his eyes slid away from hers, almost as if he felt guilty.

Esme frowned and she wondered what was going on with her youngest son.

"Where is everyone?" Esme asked.

Carlisle smiled at the disheveled, puffy-eyed duo, "Well Alice and Jasper took the children home; Rosalie fell asleep so we sent her upstairs and Bree is in the playroom watching a movie while on the phone with her friends."

Bella haltingly tried to apologize for 'ruining' everyone's evening, but Carlisle was shaking his head even before she finished talking, "Hush, Bella! There is nothing to apologize for – that's what families do. Well that's what our family does, we stick together, and we come together in good times and in bad times. Even if you do something that you think is unforgivable, you come home so that the family can stand by you, even if there are dire consequences – it doesn't matter, okay?"

Bella walked over and hugged him, "Okay Doc."

Carlisle laughed and kissed the top of her head, "Right now, I'm going to get my two girls home and we will see you on Sunday, yes?"

Edward nodded absently. Bella noticed that he seemed distracted, "Yeah, um, sure, we will be there." He looked at Bella with a tense smile, "Are you ready, love?"

Bella wondered what was wrong with Edward. He felt more distant than he had been before and almost dark but then he was smiling and talking to her as if nothing was wrong – it was very confusing.

Bella nodded and the two of them said their good night and left.

Emmett looked at his parents with amusement until he heard the front door close quietly before he chuckled and shook his head, "When are we going to bring Edward's attention to the fact that he calls Bella 'love' at every turn?"

Carlisle laughed and nodded, "And what is even funnier is the fact that Bella is either so used to it that she doesn't react or she has noticed but she doesn't want him to stop!" The two men laughed while Esme shook her head, as she stared at the closed front door with a slight frown, "Did Edward say anything to either of you? He seems upset."

Carlisle shrugged, "You know Edward, Darling; he is a worrier!"

Esme nodded, "Now you to stop gossiping!"

Emmett wiggled his eyebrows at her, "Oh! Come on Esme Cullen, you don't fool us for a second! Don't think that we haven't noticed how giddy you are every time they smile or touch or exchange those long tortured looks! We see you!" Esme gave up trying to fight her smile and she sighed happily and nodded, just as Bree danced her way into the kitchen.

"Are you three gossiping about Ed and Bella?" She asked as she opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk.

"What do you know about it 'half-pint'?" Emmett said as Bree pushed herself up onto the counter next to him.

Bree giggled, "Only that Edward was phoning Bella, like, _every night_ before she got sick and they would talk for hours!" She took a sip of her milk as three pairs of eyes stared at her as she grinned impishly and looked at them from under her lashes.

"How do you know that?" Esme asked.

"Well, I heard them when Bella and I babysat on your anniversary and then I saw Lauren Atera at the store this afternoon after school and she asked me if Edward's mobile contract had expired or something because he has been buying an _awful_ lot of prepaid airtime, and we all know that Bella is the only one in the family that has a prepaid phone…"

Esme shook her head, "Okay, that's enough gossip! As much as I am happy about Bella and Edward having so much in common and being so fond of each other – we all know that it is way too soon for either of them to even think about getting into a serious relationship, so let's just give them some room, okay?"

Everyone agreed and it wasn't long before Emmett was locking the house and turning in for the night.

=====HS=====

Bella asked Edward to stop at the shed so that she could gather the last of her clothing and toiletries as well as the envelope from under the bed. As she as she switched the light on, she saw that the room was spotlessly clean. She could not even see a mark of where the pools of blood had been. The comforter and towels were neatly folded on top of the bed. It no longer felt like her room. It felt empty. Bella realized that she didn't belong there anymore.

She wasn't a stranger in a strange town any longer. She belonged somewhere. She had a place to go and from the following week she would have her own postal address and her own post box, hell she would have her own apartment!

Bella turned the lights off and locked the door for the last time. She hurried out to where Edward was waiting for her so that they could go home.

"Ready?" Edward asked as he took the two small bags and put them on the seat next to where Roscoe lay sleeping.

Bella nodded.

When they got back to Edward's, he encouraged Bella to have a long soothing bubble bath and then to meet him downstairs for some hot chocolate while he settled Roscoe for the night and had a shower.

Bella relaxed in the tub and she felt relaxed and calmer twenty minutes later as she dressed in a pair of sleep pants and a tank top, while she finger dried her hair and walked downstairs.

Bella could not resist licking her lips as she watched Edward as he stood in the dim light of the oven. He was wearing a pair of black and white striped sleep pants with a black wife beater and he looked good enough to eat as he poured a hot delicious smelling mixture into a tea pot that was on the counter next to two enormous mugs.

Bella laughed softly, "Those are mugs for giants!"

Edward chuckled as he turned back to the stove and turned the plate off before he put the pot into the hot soapy water in the sink. He carried a tray over to the sofa and motioned to Bella with a jerk of his head.

"Come on." He said.

Bella sat next to him and curled her bare feet up under her. She leaned forward to look at what Edward had on the tray. There were two 'shot' glasses that were about half filled with an amber liquid; a tea pot of hot chocolate, a bowl of marshmallows; a bowl of chocolate sprinkles, colored sugar granules in a bowl and glazed cherries.

"Fucking hell Edward, are you trying to put me into a sugar coma?" Bella exclaimed and Edward chuckled, in spite of the ever blackening mood that seemed hell-bent in controlling him.

After a few moments Bella joined him. It felt good to laugh after the roller coaster evening that they had endured. Roscoe stood up and glared at them before he walked upstairs and they could hear him throw himself down outside Bella's door.

When their sniggers had been reduced to a few well placed chuckles Edward sat up and began to pour the still hot liquid into each mug.

"These are Christmas soup mugs as you can see by the big assed reindeer on the mug. And now, this is a little Cullen secret – add a dash of whisky and you will have the perfect 'hot toddy' to chase away any 'blues'. Of course this is only for adults, but after tonight, I think that you more than qualify."

Bella watched as Edward added the amber alcohol and then he added a few marshmallows and two cherries before he handed her the mug.

Bella took a deep sniff of the drink and she hummed appreciatively almost causing Edward to drop his own mug. He poured his almost full shot of whisky into the drink and lifted it to his lips.

Bella blew gently onto her chocolate before she took a first sip.

She closed her eyes and hummed long and loud, "Hmmmm, oh yeah this is so good, where did you learn to make this?" she said in the sexiest voice Edward had ever heard.

Bella's eyes shot open when she heard a small whimper, and she frowned, "What was that?"

Edward's head was low over his mug and she shrugged at his muffled reply, "mustabeenRoscoe."

"Really? Huh. Anyway this is _rocking_ hot chocolate, Edward." She closed her eyes again as she sipped her drink, stopping every now and again to hum appreciatively.

Edward thought that _both_ of his heads were going to explode! His cock was so stiff that he knew he would never be able to stand up with Bella in the room and thinking about drowned kittens wasn't helping to get his raging cock-stand under control. Every time Bella hummed and licked her lips or she cleared her throat and muttered things like _'delicious'_ or '_Sooo gooood'_ he felt his control slipping further and further away and right now he felt as if he was in danger of throwing her to the floor or jazzing all his pants.

He felt so turned on and guilty at the same time. He knew that he should be distancing himself from her, but he just couldn't seem to stay away.

Thankfully Bella was thirsty after her mug of hot chocolate and after Edward had downed his, she picked up the tray and gave him a chance to adjust his tented pants before he threw a pillow over his lap and Bella returned with two bottles of water.

"Thanks, that was the best hot chocolate ever!"

Edward whimpered again as she drank half the bottle of water but thankfully this time Bella didn't hum her appreciation.

"So today was an eventful day huh?" Edward said.

Bella nodded as she traced the pattern on her pants, "Yeah," she looked up and Edward could see how the evening had taken its toll on Bella. She looked pale and drawn as she shook her head slightly, "I am so confused, and I don't know what to think of all of the things that Emmett told me – talk about mind-fucked!"

Edward leaned forward, "You know what; why don't you just forget about everything and just try and get some sleep. It is a lot to think about and I'm sure that Emmett has more to discuss with you, but for now, just relax and rest. You have been through so much what with the miscarriage; now finding out about your father and your inheritance – there is a lot to think about."

Bella nodded and sighed as she slumped back on the sofa, "I just – it's all just too much right now and I'm so tired but I know that I won't be able to sleep right now."

Edward thought for a moment, "Come on, I think that I have the perfect solution."

He stood up and Bella followed, "Where are we going?"

Edward gave her a half smile, "You'll see."

He opened the door to his music room/formal sitting room and motioned for her to take a seat, "You like classical music right?"

Bella nodded as she sat on a sofa, facing the piano, which stood on a platform in one corner.

Edward sat down at the piano after he turned on a lamp, which cast a warm glow around the room.

"Allow me to sooth or bore you to sleep." He said and Bella giggled.

As the first strains of music rang out, Bella took a deep breath and she relaxed against the comfortable cushions.

From where she lay she could see Edward's face, cast in shadows, as she concentrated on his fingers. Every now and again he would look at her and smile. For a while Bella closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. She felt like a bitch in heat, she was so wet inside her shorts and she could feel how hard her nipples had become.

Every stroke of a key was like a cord was being pulled inside Bella's body, making her ache in places that she had never ached before. She had never wanted a man before; she had never, ever desired a man before but now she knew what it was like to want to throw caution to the wind and to say 'fuck it!' and launch herself at him. Bella let out a ragged breath that sounded embarrassingly loud.

She opened her eyes and immediately she looked at Edward. Bella bit her lip as she watched the dim lamplight play over Edward's bent head.

He was breathtakingly beautiful. His wild, sexy hair was all over the place, his dark lashes that were such a surprise fanned his cheeks, and Bella felt her stomach tighten as he chose that moment to look up.

The easy camaraderie and playful flirtatious mood that had surrounded them for most of the week had dissolved and in its place was a tension that made Bella's stomach flutter – not in a good way either.

Their eyes locked and Bella was sure that he could see how much she wanted to kiss his full, pouty mouth.

Edward had never been more torn in his life – he wanted her_! Fuck!_ He wanted to pull her body on top of the gleaming black paint of the baby grand and he wanted to rip her clothes off and kiss, suck and fuck every inch of her body. Bella was driving him crazy. He knew that he couldn't touch her but at the same time she was tempting him with her large, 'come hither' eyes and her fucking porcelain skin!

He looked up and glared at her, his eyes bright and dark, his mouth a slash across his tense face.

Bella swallowed hard and felt sweat break out on her forehead as she saw his eyes darken to almost black.

Her heart was hammering in her chest and her hands felt clammy.

_Fuck! Is this what lust is? Is this desire?_

Bella had never felt anything so powerful. She wanted to be under him, over him. She wanted to feel his rock hard body pulse against hers. She wanted him to fill her, to make the ache deep inside her pussy go away…

"Edward, I…" she whispered raggedly but Edward was already shaking his head as his fingers stilled on the piano keys.

"Go to bed, Isabella." He commanded in a voice that was husky and low and Bella felt her blood boil at the sound. _God, she was so wet between her legs…_

Bella stared at him, her eyes wide, she felt like a deer caught in the head lights, "But…"

The atmosphere in the room with like a thick fog of sex and lust and Bella wanted nothing more than to stay – stay and see what would happen.

"Just fucking _go to bed_! _Now_!" Edward said harshly, his face a hard mask of determination.

The spell was shattered as Edward's fingers crashed down on the keys causing her to jump. She scrambled to her feet and she fled out of the room. She ran up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door, startling Roscoe who had been sleeping just outside of her doorway.

Edward wanted to smash his fist through something "FUCK_! Why can't she just do as she is told for one fucking day?" _ He spat out aloud as he paced around the room and pulled at his hair.

He needed to get away and clear his head and with that in mind, Edward headed upstairs and pulled on a pair of shorts and his running shoes. He stopped outside Bella's door. He could hear movement inside, "Bella – I'm going for a run with Roscoe." He said and waited.

He heard a snort and then, "What the fuck ever!"

He muttered a curse and jogged down the stairs where Roscoe was waiting for him.

_Bitch! _ He thought as he threw himself into his warm up routine.

_Asshole! _Bella thought as she threw herself onto her bed in a fit of rage.

=====HS=====

Bella sat inside her darkened room and watched as the tall man and his dog ran through Dorset Common. He was wearing only a pair of dark colored shorts and running shoes, his shirt had been discarded, and she could see his dark chest hair that tapered into a ribbon of soft looking fur down his abdomen to the waistband of his shorts and… "Stop it! What the fuck is wrong with you? You are supposed to be pissed at him and you are lusting after him like a whore on payday! The man is terrified of you and is literally running away from you at almost two o'clock in the fucking morning because he doesn't want to be in the same room or even the same house as you! You are like a bitch in heat! Disgusting!" Bella jumped up from the seat and began to pace around the room. Every now and again she would pause and look out the window. She noticed that Edward didn't run his usual route, but he seemed to stick to running along the figure 'eight' pathway that happened to circled the lake but still kept the house in sight.

She didn't understand what had happened downstairs. _Had she been so obvious?_ _Did she disgust him? Did he think that she was easy? Going from one man to another! Did it count even if she didn't consider Tyler to be anything to her but a sperm donor? _Bella was so confused.

She liked Edward and she thought that he was funny and sexy and thoughtful but she just couldn't believe that he would ever see her as anything more than a silly teenager that had gotten herself knocked up.

That thought made Bella feel so miserable that she wanted to cry. She knew that she was still getting over the loss of the baby and that her hormones were all over the place but the thought of never being able to explore what she was feeling was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

She stood to one side of the window and stared down as the sweaty man and his dog walked the last few meters to the house.

Suddenly Edward stopped and he looked up at Bella's window. For a moment they stared at each other, with nothing hidden and Bella saw the regret and confusion in Edward's eyes and he saw her bewilderment and anguish.

Edward sighed and walked inside as Bella waited for him to come to her. She waited for him to knock on her door and for them to resolve all of these confusing feelings.

Bella heard the shower go on in Edward's bathroom and she heard Roscoe nudge her door. She opened it silently looking across the hall.

Bella sat on the side of her bed and waited. Twenty minutes later the light under Edward's door went out and Bella wiped a stray tear off her cheek.

Roscoe nudged her leg and Bella ran her fingers through his soft fur as she fought the urge to burst into tears.

"It's okay, boy." She whispered before she lay down on top of the covers and closed her eyes.

But her heavy heart felt as if nothing would ever be 'okay' again.

=====HS=====

Edward lay on top of his covers with his hands behind his head. He could feel Bella drawing him towards her – pulling him, luring him closer … with a muffled curse Edward punched his pillow and turned away from the door.

All night he had felt a growing need to separate himself from Bella. He knew with everything that Emmett had discovered that Bella was going to be well taken care of.

_Financially – he knew that she wouldn't have any worries;_

_Emotionally – she would have his family there to take care of her;_

_Intellectually – she would be writing her GED, SAT's and then going off to college._

_Ergo – she didn't need him anymore._

He knew that he was being an asshole. He knew that Bella had never been in a relationship before but then again, neither had he – not really. Sure, he had his fill of eager women when he was younger and then there was Jenna.

Once he had come home, he had used women that threw themselves at him, but he had never been in an adult, fully committed relationship.

Edward sat up and ran his hands through his hair.

"This is never going to work." He said to himself.

For the first time in almost nine years, he felt out of control and he was terrified. Not once since he had been to rehab had he craved to feel the numbness that came from narcotics – _except for now._

Suddenly he knew what he had to do.

Without thinking, he picked up his phone and dialed a number, within two rings it was answered, "Edward, what's wrong?"

"I need to get away for a while; I'm thinking of riding to the Hale's, I feel as if I'm slipping…"

"I'll be right over – give me a few minutes – just stay on the phone with me, okay? I'm calling Dad on the other phone."

"Of course, Bella's sleeping." Edward stood up with heavy feet and he moved towards his closet. Everything screamed inside of him that this was a mistake, _Bella would never understand, she would never forgive him._

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure that you are doing the right thing? Is she going to understand?"

Edward sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand, "I can't be near her and not feel all these feelings – it's just too much. She doesn't need my shit right now."

Edward could hear them talking quietly in the background. He heard rustling of bed covers and then, "We are on our way – we will be there in ten."

"Yeah."

Edward tossed his phone onto his bed and pulled out a couple of pairs of jeans, long and short sleeved T-shirts, socks, underwear and then his eyes fell onto his leather jacket, boots, gloves and helmet.

He ignored the loud voice in his head telling him that this was a mistake; this was the biggest mistake that he could make. He was going to do what everyone else had; he was going to desert her when she needed him the most.

He forced himself to put Bella out of his mind – he had to do this, for both of their sakes.

As he closed his backpack and his side bags, he heard the quiet sound of his father's Mercedes break the quiet dawn.

He looked around his room for the last time before he switched off the light and went downstairs.

Roscoe stood at the bottom of the stairs.

Edward could see in his eyes that he knew and he didn't understand.

Edward crouched down next to him, "I'm sorry Roscoe, but you need to stay here and look after our girl, okay? Be a good boy and I will see you in time for Christmas, I promise you. I wish you could go, but I need to get away, so she is going to need you." He leaned forward and hugged Roscoe before he stood up again.

"I love you, boy. I'm sorry." He murmured as he opened the front door.

Jasper and Carlisle stood in the porch light and Edward could see the concern and disappointment in his father's eyes.

"Come in." He said quietly as he pushed the door open and turned without waiting for them to follow. He walked into his office at the back of the house and turned the lights on before he leaned against the desk and crossed his arms.

Carlisle stood in the doorway while Jasper walked to the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on.

"Son? Talk to me – this is not the way – surely there is another solution?"

Carlisle's gaze was gentle and unwavering.

"Dad, I don't even know if I understand, but this is an impossible situation. Bella is – she is special to me. At first I just thought that it was a physical attraction or something like 'forbidden fruit' or something, but it is so much more than that." Edward had been staring down at his scuffed black boots and Carlisle was shocked to see the sheen of tears in his pale green eyes when he looked back at him, "I think that I love her and I know that this couldn't be the worst time for that to happen. I just don't think that I can hide it from her if I stay."

Jasper carried in three mugs of coffee. Carlisle sat in an old armchair while Edward didn't move from his position. He didn't want to get comfortable in case they changed his mind.

"Bella needs to find herself. She has her whole life ahead of her and if I declare my love for her, I am going to hold her back. I want to be selfish, I want to keep her with me, and that's just not possible. Not if we want her to reach her full potential and she is so extraordinary!" Edward couldn't carry on talking when his voice broke so he dipped his head and took a long sip of his coffee.

Jasper sat on the arm of a sofa and stared at Edward gravelly, "Have you taken anything?"

Edward shook his head, "Jesus, Jasper! No! I just feel so out of control right now that I know I need to get away and wait until things settle down."

Jasper's face was unusually hard as he snapped, "You mean _hide_ until things settle down?"

"No! Fuck, Jasper, I didn't phone you to shit on me, I phoned you because you and Dad have my fucking back and right now, I don't know which way is up." The two brothers stared at each other silently before Jasper let out a sigh, "You're right, I'm sorry, I was talking as a brother, not a therapist. Of course you need to get yourself centered again. Bella will be fine."

He looked at Edward and his father before he snorted angrily and shook his head, "No, she is not going to be fine. She is going to be hurt and angry and you may never get her back. She may never forgive you for leaving, but I do agree that Bella needs to concentrate on herself right now. She has had a rough week and it's about to get rougher and she will need months to heal from this. Do you realize the risk that you are taking?"

Edward swallowed noisily and Carlisle felt his heart break as he saw Edward brush a thumb under his eyes to wipe away a few errant tears.

He nodded to himself before he looked up, "Yeah, I know the risk. Bella deserves every chance in life and I will not stand in her way."

And with that, the decision had been made. They spent the next hour finalizing Edward's proposed route and his travel plans, and then Jasper and Carlisle stayed in the study to make some phone calls while Edward took his bags to his garage before he sat in the kitchen and wrote the most difficult letters that he had ever written.

When he was finished he sealed each of them in envelopes before he handed them to his father, "Please don't let her blame herself, make sure that she knows that this is all on me."

Carlisle nodded before he uttered a curse and pulled Edward into his arms. "Don't you do anything stupid, Son! Do you hear me? You stick to the plan and you fucking come back to us, because you are _willingly_ breaking that girl's heart and leaving us to pick up the pieces, so you come back, you hear?" he growled as he held Edward tightly against him.

Edward squeezed his eyes closed, "I love you, Dad. I have to do this, for her and for me. This is the right thing to do. Please look after her for me."

Carlisle cupped Edward's face between his hands and stared deep into his eyes. He wasn't ashamed of his own wet cheeks and his eyes blazed with an intensity that made it almost painful to see, "You do what you have to. The Hale's are expecting you in four days time. No longer than that and you _will_ phone every night to check in with either Jasper or myself. _And you will be home for Christmas_! That is non-negotiable. _Is That Understood?"_

Edward nodded, "Yes Sir, I will be home for Christmas."

The two men stared at each other for a long time, until Edward broke the embrace, "I have to go – she will be waking up soon."

Carlisle leaned forward and pressed his lips to Edward's forehead, just as he had done so many times before. Carlisle had never had a problem in showing his sons physical affection, "I love you Edward. Be safe."

Jasper walked Edward to the garage in silence, "Emmett is going to be so pissed at you." He said.

Edward nodded, "I will stop by his place before I leave," he pushed his bike outside into the crisp dawn air, "Jas, I love you man."

Edward pushed his bike up the road and away from the house as Jasper walked beside him.

Jasper nodded, "Christmas, baby brother, you have until Christmas."

Edward leaned forward and hugged his elder brother tightly, "Take care of them, Jas."

Jasper nodded.

Edward cast one last look towards his home before he slipped his glasses onto his nose, pushed his helmet onto his head and turned the key.

His bike came to life and then he was riding down the road.

Jasper watched him until he turned the corner at the end of the street and then he turned and walked back to his house.

A whimper at his side made him look down, "I'm sorry Ross, but he couldn't take you, boy. Look, things are going to be a little rough around here for a few months and you are going to need to step up to look after Bella for him, okay?" Jasper knelt down to scratch between Roscoe's ears.

"Come on, we need to get ready for when Bella wakes up. And I need to feed you as well, right?"

Roscoe gave a soft bark in agreement as they walked up the front steps.

=====HS=====

Bella woke up just after seven that morning. Afterwards she would wonder why she didn't know as soon as he was gone that something was different. She would wonder why she didn't feel the house mourning the loss of him.

Bella opened her eyes and stared up at the white ceiling. She looked towards her doorway and saw Roscoe laying and watching her.

She propped herself up on one arm, "Hey boy, where is 'His Royal Grumpy-ass' this morning hey?"

Roscoe whimpered but he didn't move.

Bella frowned and sat up, "That bad huh? Okay, let me get dressed and then we will go and brave the wrath of our boy together, okay?"

Roscoe whimpered again.

Bella smiled, "Come on in, and let me close the door, because Edward will have a heart attack if he walks past and sees me half naked! Last night was bad enough!"

Twenty minutes later Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Jasper heard Bella's footsteps on the stairs. Her voice was loud enough to be heard, "…Okay Edward, you have sulked enough, now it's time to talk to me, damnit! This is in – oh!" Bella stopped dead in her tracks as she looked from one somber face to the next. She stared hard at Alice and Esme before her gaze went from Jasper to Carlisle. Her hands fluttered before she wrapped her arms around her stomach as she looked from one to another.

She had to lick her lips a few times before she wrapped her thin arms around her torso. Her eyes went from light brown to the darkest chocolate hue in seconds as she realized that Edward was not in the room.

"He, he wants me to leave right?" Bella whispered.

The four other people in the room began to protest loudly until Esme shouted everyone down.

"Shut up for a second, unless you want to really piss me off this morning!" Esme screeched.

Bella's jaw dropped as she stared at Esme. On closer inspection, Bella realized that she was not as perfectly put together as she usually was and was dressed in a pair of yoga pants, a tank top and a cardigan with a pair of … _slippers_?

Fear gripped Bella's heart as she tried to swallow around the nausea. She could feel the pulse beating wildly in her chest and she tried to ignore the rising sense of doom that was gripping her.

_What the fuck was going on?_

Bella frowned and she looked at each of the four facing her. They all looked stressed, half asleep, and utterly exhausted.

"What the fuck is going on and don't try to bullshit me! I can see that something, fucking major is wrong and something tells me that it's Edward. Talk to me!" She snapped sharply.

Suddenly Bella knew. She was about to talk when Esme stepped forward.

"No, Bella, he doesn't want you to leave. Edward, well, he, um, he had to leave this morning. He is going to volunteer at a clinic that our friends run in Santa Barbara, the Hale's. They are Alice and Rosalie's parents and they, um, well, shoot! This is so hard." Esme shook her head as her eyes filled with sudden tears.

_What?_

"Bella, Edward is a recovering drug addict and he has felt himself slipping into a dangerous state of mind over the past few weeks. He has gone to 'Living Hope', which is a Drug rehabilitation center on the West Coast. He is going to be gone for a few months." Carlisle's voice was full of regret and concern.

Bella's breath caught in her throat and for a moment she was sure that she was going to pass out. Carlisle leapt forward as she swayed but then she righted herself and the steely determination in her eyes kept Carlisle and Esme from approaching her as she pressed the heels of her hands over her face for a moment.

They couldn't quite catch what she was saying, but it sounded like she was chanting, 'You promised, you promised,' to herself.

Finally Bella took a deep breath as she quickly wiped the hot tears from her cheeks.

She had shed the last tears for Edward Cullen that she was going to. It was time to move on. Bella knew how to do that. She knew about disappointment and loss. She had coped with the familiar feeling of being deserted before and she knew that if she could lock her feelings away, and not feel anything then she would be fine.

"Bella," Esme began, but Bella's head shot up.

"Don't! Don't make excuses for him. I understand, I really do – it's time to move onward and upward, right? So, what now? Should I pack and move back to the shed?" She asked, and everyone cringed at the harsh, cold tone of her voice, which told them loudly that she was not prepared to discuss Edward.

Esme shook her head, "No! Edward wanted you to stay as long as you like. Kebi has cleared you to return to work on Monday, correct?"

Bella nodded.

"Great, the garage apartment will be ready on Wednesday, there are a few touch ups that we want to finish, so we can come back here on Wednesday afternoon and pick up your stuff."

Bella nodded. A wet nose nudged her hand and she looked down to see Roscoe staring up at her. His intelligent brown eyes showed his sorrow and anguish at having been left behind, Bella smiled bitterly – she knew how he felt. She stroked his soft fur before she looked up at Esme.

"What about Roscoe?" she asked quietly.

Esme waved her hand, "Well, as you know, he has four homes so he will probably stay with Rose-"

"No!" Everyone looked at Bella in shock as she shot to her feet.

"I mean, I would like him to stay with me, when I'm home. We are, well, he's family and he likes to sleep in my doorway at night and," she looked down at her friend, "he has had enough of people leaving him to last a lifetime, so if you don't mind…" she said as her voice wobbled.

With a quick look between the other four, Carlisle was the one to answer, "Of course he can stay with you. He is quite happy to spend his days in our yard; there is always plenty of activity around."

Bella turned away and wiped the moisture that had leaked from her eyes. She sniffed loudly and nodded as she gave Roscoe a watery grin, "You hear that boy? Huh? You are going to come home with me. Yeah, we will take your kibble and your bed, not that you use it at night, and your basket of toys. We'll be okay, won't we boy?" Bella wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure Roscoe or herself.

She knelt down and buried her face in the thick black, gold, and white fur for a moment. She knew that it was pathetic to feel so attached to an animal, but she also knew that Edward loved Roscoe and no matter what, he would come back for him.

Carlisle looked at Jasper, Alice and Esme and motioned to the door.

"Well, we are going to go. Bella if you need anything, please give one of us a call." Alice said quietly.

Bella nodded. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Bella?" She looked at Jasper.

"Emmett would like you to call him sometime this weekend. There are forms that need to be filled out and signed and he has some more stuff that he got from a couple of your father's friends in Phoenix that they had been keeping for you."

"Really?" Bella's face lit up.

Jasper nodded and smiled, "Yeah, he said that he met two really stand-up guys that were real good friends with Charlie." Jasper stepped closer, "He _will_ come home Bella. He just doesn't know how to handle all of the emotions that he's feeling after all these years of not allowing himself to feel anything. He is scared of doing the wrong thing and I'm sorry that he left this way, but he was being a coward. He didn't want to hurt you any more than he had to. Personally, none of us are happy about this but we will stand by his decision."

Bella nodded, "Thank you Jasper, I will call Emmett later."

Alice hugged her closely; "Call me anytime you need me, okay? We love you Bells."

Bella nodded and waved as the couple left.

Esme and Carlisle stood in the open doorway, "Perhaps you both need some time, Sweetheart. Emotions are powerful sometimes." Esme said.

Bella nodded and she closed her eyes as Esme hugged her. Her eyes met the saddened blue gaze of Carlisle as he stood to one side, allowing the women a moment.

"Edward cares for you Bella. Maybe too much – so just take some time. _Don't give up on him_."

Bella didn't answer as the other woman pulled away and wiped the tears from under her eyes, "Now, we are going to fetch you for lunch tomorrow. We will swing by after church at about eleven thirty or so. Just bring you and your 'shadow' over there."

Bella's face grew pale at Esme's words, "Did I say something wrong?"

Bella shook her head and gave Esme a small tight smile, "No, Edward calls him that as well, my shadow." She put her hand up to her chest. It felt as if a hole was growing there – dark and sad.

"Call us for anything, Bella – I mean that!" Carlisle said as he gave Bella a hug and a kiss on the top of her head.

"Okay." Bella said.

She looked up to see him studying her; "I have something for you. He wrote you a letter…"

Bella shook her head as she stepped back, "Not now, I'm not quite ready not to be _really_ pissed with him yet. So, can you hang on to it until I ask you?"

Carlisle nodded and gave her a smile, "I understand completely."

He jogged down the porch steps and stopped at the bottom, and turned to face her, "I know that it is a small consolation, but he was more miserable than I've seen him in almost nine years and that's why I didn't stop him, he really does need this and I think that you do as well."

Bella leaned against the door jamb with Roscoe sitting next to her with a smug grin on his face and his tongue hanging out, "I know that you are right, but it doesn't make it hurt any less."

Carlisle nodded before he walked to his car. Bella watched as he put an envelope in the back pocket of his jeans.

She closed the door and walked into the kitchen.

It was too damn quiet and so she turned on the television that hung on one wall. She quickly found a cooking channel which she listened to as she made herself a fresh herb and spring onion omelet.

Once that was done, Bella raced upstairs and changed her bedding. She washed a load of her clothes and then a load of sheets and towels.

She knew that she should check Edward's room, but she couldn't bring herself to open the door, afraid of what she might find and so she cleaned the rest of the house.

Vacuuming, dusting, polishing the floors, watering the plants gave her something to do and covered the awful silence with sounds.

Roscoe kept a close eye on his friend that first day. He knew that she was hurting. He could feel her pain from where he lay on his bed in the kitchen.

By noon Bella was tired, sweaty and in a furious temper. During the course of the morning, she had vacillated between being heartbroken and hurt and angry and scornful. When she poured the last of the water solution that she had used to mop the floors down the drain, she was livid.

_Edward Cullen was a fucking coward! A lily-livered, sniveling, snake-in-the-grass coward that didn't deserve to have her in his life or to even breathe the same air that she did! He was a liar and a cheat and it was good that she had found out what he was like before she…_

Bella stopped dead as she stared blindly out of the back window with her forehead wrinkled.

"Before I – _what_? Before I fall in love with him, because I'm pretty fucking sure that it's too late for that. I am so fucking in love with that pussy teasing, lowlife little asswipe that I am fucked. Well and truly fucked." Bella said to herself with a mocking laugh.

Roscoe lifted one eye, only to close it again and he buried his face deeper into his cushion. His girl-human had been acting very strange all morning. Crying, cussing, dancing, cleaning – it was all very confusing. He knew that it had to do with his master driving away on the 'black beast'.

He sighed and turned his head away, it was going to be a long day.

"I sound like a fucking crazy person – talking to myself. And I stink! I need a bath." Bella announced to the room at large.

Roscoe didn't move a muscle.

She made sure that the front door was locked before she made her way upstairs. She paused outside Edward's bedroom door and placed a small flat hand on the cool wood, "Oh Edward, why didn't you trust me, like I was learning to trust you?" she sighed and walked into her bedroom.

She peeled off her cut off jeans, tank top and underwear and made her way into the bathroom and turned the shower on.

After washing and conditioning her hair twice and washing her body with the strawberry scented body wash, Bella climbed out and towel dried her hair. She looked up at the wall of mirrors and stared at her body.

She had small but shapely hips that nipped in at the waist. Her flat stomach showed no signs that just a few days before it had harbored a child. Bella's hands swept up, over her hips to the undersides of her breasts.

Bella had noticed when she was pregnant, that her breast had changed. They had felt fuller and heavier and her nipples had become extra sensitive and they had not gone back to 'normal' yet. Bella brushed her thumbs over her pebbled nipples and she moaned quietly. Even though it was her own fingers, Bella could feel a tingle inside her. It was the same tingle that she got when Edward touched her or looked at her in that certain way – the way that he had looked at her the previous evening.

"Stop it!" she said to her reflection. It was no use thinking about what might have been. Edward was gone. He had run away when it had become a little uncomfortable. Okay, a lot uncomfortable and although deep down Bella felt a spark of admiration for the fact that Edward had chosen to remove himself from his practice, family and home so that Bella could stay; and she knew that he was right to have done what he did.

Neither of them was anywhere close to being ready to have any sort of entanglement, but fuck if it still didn't hurt. Bella pressed the palm of her hand to the space between her breasts just where the hole seemed to be.

With a little shake of her head she walked into her bedroom and before she knew it she was opening his bedroom door.

The room looked like a bomb had gone off. The bed was unmade, the clothes hamper in the corner was overflowing onto the floor, Edward's walk in closet stood open and Bella could see more disarray inside.

His bathroom wasn't much better.

Wet towels were lying on the floor, the bathroom cabinets stood open and a few items lay on the stone floor.

But the evidence of Edward was – everywhere. His smell permeated the still air. Bella wiped at her cheeks as she picked up the discarded towel carried it into the bedroom to put in the hamper. Her hand hovered before she dropped the towel and picked up the button down that Edward had worn the night before.

It was a blue and white pin stripe that he had teamed with his dark blue jeans and his converse. Bella brought it up to her nose and she choked on a sob as his scent assaulted her.

Bella slipped the shirt on and buttoned it before she walked over to the large bed. The indent of Edward's head was on his pillow and she lay down on the opposite side and pulled his pillow against her as tears gathered in her eyes.

"H-how am I supposed to do this without you, Edward? You p-promised that you would be here for me." She whispered into the soft fabric.

Bella closed her eyes and let sleep take over, _Come home soon, my… my sweet boy._

=====HS=====

** Golden Slumbers – originally written by Thomas Dekker

*** Please note that this is fiction and while I don't live in the US, I have done a ton of research which shows that all of these agencies do an AMAZING job and their employees work tirelessly to try and make sure that each and every ward of the state is taken care of and looked after by a loving caregiver.**

**A/N: Okay, confession time: This chapter broke my heart – yes, I cried writing my own stuff! ****I am not good at writing angst,**** but these characters have become so much deeper than I first anticipated and it had to be done, people. Bella and Edward need some time here. I promise –this will not last longer than a chapter or so and yes, she will give him a hard time and yes she **_**will**_** forgive him - ****it will all work out okay****. So, hang in there, okay?**

**Love, hugs and tissues,**

**Michele**

**FIC REC FROM THE BEST BETA AND FRIEND – FIORELLA:**

If age is a number, what's size? by Twi-girl09 (ff)

Bella is in high school and is having a hard time dealing with everything she gets. She wants prince charming to save her, but what if her prince has always been there? Been done loads, but give this a chance? This story is about an over weight Bella who is physically and mentally abused at school by her peers. I wasn't sure what it was about till I started reading it and I have to say some chapters will have you in tears. A quick summary from my end, Bella is abused by students from school and only has two friends, Alice and Angela. When she is abused they don't step in because they are part of the popular crowd, but then again Bella keeps telling them that she is okay. Edward is Alice's bother and seems to notice what is going on and befriends Bella, for right or wrong reasons he does. The more they become friends the more she is abused… from there is I tell you anymore it gives the story away. Bella is so insecure she is not sure why Edward wants to be her friend but in the end she trusts him. Good or Bad thing you be the judge.

So if you don't like this kind of story don't read it, but I actually never knew this story of abuse was out there. All I can say is that if you are in this situation, please for the love of God, tell someone, tell anyone.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 12 – **_

_**But the evidence of Edward was – everywhere. His smell permeated the still air. Bella wiped at her cheeks as she picked up the discarded towel carried it into the bedroom to put in the hamper. Her hand hovered before she dropped the towel and picked up the button down that Edward had worn the night before.**_

_**It was a blue and white pin stripe that he had teamed with his dark blue jeans and his converse. Bella brought it up to her nose and she choked on a sob as his scent assaulted her.**_

_**Bella slipped the shirt on and buttoned it before she walked over to the large bed. The indent of Edward's head was on his pillow and she lay down on the opposite side and pulled his pillow against her as tears gathered in her eyes.**_

"_**H-how am I supposed to do this without you, Edward? You p-promised that you would be here for me." She whispered into the soft fabric.**_

_**Bella closed her eyes and let sleep take over, **_**Come home soon, my… my sweet boy.**

**CHAPTER 13 – TIME WAITS FOR NO MAN (OR WOMAN)**

"Doc Cullen!"

Edward turned at the sound of the adolescent voice, and he smiled, "Hello Jeff, how are you doing today?"

The gangly teenager with the greasy brown hair and bad skin grinned at him, "No shakes today – at all! And Doc Brown says that my parents are coming this weekend!"

Edward put a hand on Jeff's shoulder as they resumed their walk through the clinic grounds towards the recreational area.

"You deserve it, buddy, you have worked so hard in the past two months. We are all really proud of you."

"Hey, are you gonna play some ball with us later?" Jeff said as he pushed his hair out of his eyes.

Edward pursed his lips and thought about it for a moment, _why not? It's not like I have anything else to do. _ He nodded, "Sure, you get your team together and we will see you at 5.30 – I've got the afternoon shift today?"

Jeff laughed as he walked backwards, "You're on, Doc! Tell Doc Brown to bring his 'A' game, coz we are gonna kick some ass tonight!"

Edward laughed and shook his head, "Bring it, Tadpole!"

Edward thought about Jeff as he walked into the admin block of the Adobe style buildings. Jeff had arrived two months before and just a month after Edward had joined the 'volunteer team' of Living Hope Drug Rehabilitation Centre, which was owned and run by Brandon and Megan Hale. Brandon and Megan had met at a drug rehab convention, when they had their own practices and their love of helping people had drawn them together and they had realized a lifelong dream of owning their own facility when Alice and Rosalie had gone off to college.

They had chosen Santa Barbara because Brandon Hale had own a large piece of real estate there and so they had completely rebuilt and after Edward had gone through his own rehabilitation, he had promised to return on a volunteer basis, which he did every two years or so. The center had it's own in-house general practitioner, Doctor Eli Brown, who was a little older than Edward and lived nearby with his wife and two daughters.

Edward and Eli had become good friends over the years.

Edward knocked on Megan's door. She smiled up at him. She was a pretty woman, and it was easy to see that she and Alice were related although Megan didn't look to be in her early fifties. "Hey Edward, how are you enjoying your birthday so far?"

Edward shrugged and slouched into one of the chairs in front of her desk. It was November 22 and it was Edward's twenty-eighth birthday.

He ran a hand through his hair, "It's been okay, I guess. I'm waiting for the phone calls to come from the family."

Megan saw the wistfulness in his eyes, "Have you tried to phone her yet?"

Edward let out a sigh and shook his head, "It's been too long now, you know. I was such an ass. I should have called her as soon as I arrived here. But I thought that I was doing the right thing by giving her some time. I'm going to have to just try and do this in person."

Megan nodded, "When was the last time that you received a letter?"

"Three weeks ago. She sounded like she was doing well, you know. She's really busy with school and stuff. She sounds as if she is focused. I'm so proud of her." Edward dipped his head as he picked an imaginary piece of lint off his jeans.

"Edward," Edward looked up reluctantly to meet Megan's eyes.

"We have spoken about this before, but you did the right thing. Bella was in no condition to enter into a relationship with you. She probably still isn't but your leaving allowed her to focus on herself and she has done a great job of doing just that!"

Edward nodded, "I know, I just miss her. I miss all of them. I miss being home."

Megan cocked an eyebrow, "Enough to go home now?"

Edward laughed, "I promised Jeff that I would leave when he does and not before."

"Well that should just give you enough time to buy some gifts and to get home for Christmas, then because it looks as if our young Jeff is going to be going home in about three weeks' time."

Megan smiled warmly, "You have been a wonderful influence in your time here, Edward. You have a real rapport with these young people. I think that it's the tattoo and the tongue piercing actually."

Edward chuckled again as he flicked the ball in his mouth. After a few minutes Edward checked his watch and saw that he had to leave to attend to the afternoon shift in the infirmary.

As he stood up, Megan smiled at him, "I have something for you." She said as she stood up and walked over to a large box next to her door.

She pulled something out of it and turned around. Edward's face lit up at the package in her hands.

"This box arrived for you last week with very explicit instructions that you were only to get this on your birthday, and there may or may not be an envelope in there from a certain young lady…"

Edward grinned and hugged her, "Thanks Megan. I'll pick this up after my shift,"

Megan smiled at the man that she had such a soft spot for, "Don't worry, Edward, we will put it in your bedroom."

Edward made his way outside and squinted up at the sun. He knew that everyone was freezing their asses off back in Vermont. His father had told him that they were going to try and teach Bella to ice skate that weekend. A thought that filled him with a little trepidation because she was not the most coordinated person that he knew.

He smiled as he walked the path to the medical wing of the center, Bella had remembered his birthday!

=====HS=====

Bella heard her name being called as she pulled her knitted cap and mittens on.

"Hey Bella!" She turned around and smiled at the two girls making their way towards her.

Casey and Brenda walked towards her, "How did you do on your test?"

Bella grinned broadly, "A plus!"

"Wow, that's amazing! I only managed a C plus! Old Macgrindy hates me." Casey said with a pout.

"Well, I've got to leave; I will see you after Thanksgiving!" Bella said as she deactivated her car alarm and opened the door.

"Are you sure? The party is supposed to be fucking amazing at Barry's tomorrow night!" Brenda said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Bella shook her head, "I told you already, I'm not interested in that asshole and I have a family thing and then there's E…"

"We know, we know, '_and then there's Edward!'_ But Bella, he is on the other side of the country and he hasn't even called you!" Casey retorted.

Bella glared at them as she climbed into her car, "Either accept me as I am or we are going to have a big fucking problem!"

Brenda sighed, "Okay, we're sorry, but we are just looking out for you Bella."

Bella nodded, "I know, but now I've got to leave or else I am going to catch shit from all sides if I'm late. I have a date tonight with my furry friend."

The girls waved as Bella started her Beetle and pulled out of the parking lot. She checked the digital clock on the dashboard, and she quickly put her hands free earpiece on and hit the speed dial.

"_**Bella, hello honey! Are you running late today?" **_

_**Bella smiled at the concern in Esme's voice.**_

"_**I'm on my way now and guess what?"**_

"_**What?"**_

"_**I got an A plus in my English Lit. test!" Bella couldn't help but laugh as Esme let out a loud cheer.**_

"_**Bella, that's fantastic! Oh my! Carlisle is going to be busting a gut when you tell him. He will be bragging to everyone again. Look what happened last week on your Educational Psychology test!"**_

_**They laughed again.**_

"_**Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I'm on my way and I will see you in about two and a half hours. I'm going slow today." **_

"_**Okay, but you take care and call if there is a problem, the roads are really wet."**_

"_**Kay, bye May-May."**_

"_**Bye Bells."**_

Bella disconnected the call and turned her radio on. The road was fairly quiet and Bella settled down for the long drive. She let her mind wonder back over the past three months.

=====HS=====

Bella had spent that first day holed up in Edward's bed. She got up to feed Roscoe, use the bathroom but she had returned to his bed. She had allowed herself that time to cry and miss him, because she had already begun to formulate a plan of action.

The next morning she had climbed out of Edward's bed with determination and she had stripped the sheets off the bed. Roscoe had given up trying to find any logic in what Bella did and he had watched from his bed as Bella hauled first the sheets and then the laundry basket down the stairs, at four thirty in the morning.

Bella had indulged herself and she had kept Edward's 'Killers' T-shirt and his blue and white pinstripe button down. But she had washed and dried everything else.

Over the course of the next few hours Bella had purged her misery in housework. She had not remade his bed, but instead she had cleaned the room from top to bottom, making sure to air it, to get rid of the lemongrass and sandalwood and _Edward_ smell as much as possible.

Once that was done, Bella had scrubbed the bathroom and cleaned his closet.

With a last look, Bella had closed the balcony door and she had drawn the curtains and then she had walked out of Edward's room and closed the door.

Nobody had asked her how she was at lunch and even the children seemed to sense that she was not herself, but before she left that day, she asked if she could meet Jasper and Carlisle at Emmett's office the next day.

On Monday morning she had taken an early lunch and she had walked across to meet Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett in Emmett's office.

They had spent some time going over the paperwork and Emmett had given Bella a box that her father's friends had been keeping for her.

It seemed that Bella had been lost in the system and no one could get any information on her whereabouts and so the men had hoped that Bella would one day turn up.

Emmett, Carlisle and Jasper had been fantastic in helping Bella to set up accounts as well as an investment portfolio.

After Bella had passed her learners driving test, she had taken lessons with Russell, who was surprisingly good at driving education and with a special application, Bella passed her driver's test, which was celebrated by a 'family barbeque' at the Cullen's home, Bella laughed when she saw that almost half the town had been invited.

Jake and Rosalie had gone overboard in fixing her car, once Bella gave them the 'go-ahead'. It had been completely overhauled and it now had every 'mod con' and auto-gadget as well as every possible safety feature, including GPS, anti-theft and a kick ass alarm and sound system. Bella had hardly recognized the bright yellow, black and chrome car with the wide tires and custom black leather upholstery that Jacob and Rosalie had unveiled for her after she had successfully achieved her GED in just over a month.

After Bella had received her first check from the insurance company, she had asked Jasper to take her to buy a laptop. They had spent the day at a few electronics stores in nearby Hartford until they had found one that offered her a great deal that Jasper approved of. She had come away with a top of the range laptop, a portable high-speed printer, and enough supplies to last her for the entire school year.

The other thing that she had come away with that day was a friend and councilor. Bella found that Jasper was quietly insightful. He listened well and gave sage advice. Bella had begun to see him 'professionally' one day a week to help her to come to terms with her past.

Once Bella had her laptop, she had begun to study for her upcoming GED test. It was the only thing, besides working for Esme and Alice, sleep and taking Roscoe for his run that Bella had done for the next four weeks.

She had not told anyone when she had taken the bus to take her GED.

A week later, she had received a letter in the post.

Bella smiled as she remembered how she had fallen to her knees and the tears ran down her cheeks when she had pulled the certificate from the envelope.

Carlisle had found her still on her knees a while later.

His face had been etched in worry as he had flown from his car and was by her side in seconds, leaving his engine still running.

"Bella! What's wrong?"

Bella had silently held out the letter.

Carlisle's eyes had grown to the size of saucers, "What is thi… oh my word, Bella! This is amazing!" he had scrambled to his feet, pulling Bella up with him as he had shouted for Esme, Bree, and even Roscoe. Bella was spun around and hugged by everyone.

That night, Bella had been treated to her very first meal in the only 'fancy' Italian restaurant in town.

'_La Bella Vita'_ was owed by Arturo and Maria Vicenza, an Italian couple that had come to the States ten years before from their native Naples.

Once again it seemed that half the town turned out to celebrate with Bella. Besides the Cullen's, Billy, Sue, Jacob and Vanessa joined them for dinner. Alastair and Makenna made an appearance in time for desert, as did Jess and Mike, who gave Bella a year's free pass for milkshakes and coffee from the Purple Cow. Angela, Ben and the children also stopped by and Angela gave Bella a black 'graduation cap' that she had to wear during dinner.

Although the attention was overwhelming at first, Bella reveled in it and Esme couldn't help but notice how more openly affectionate Bella had become. She seldom flinched if someone invaded her personal space anymore, unless she didn't know them.

As Carlisle had walked Bella to the door of her garage apartment that night, Bella had asked for his help, "Carlisle, I want to go to college now. I don't want to wait and I don't know what to do. I'm not even sure that it's possible, but I just don't want to stick around in limbo if I can go to school. I am more than happy to go to community college and transfer if I can."

Carlisle unlocked Bella's door and handed her the key before he answered her, "I know a few people that may be able to help; let me see what I can do, alright?"

Carlisle had spoken to his good friend Aro Volturi, whose brother, Marcus just happened to be the President of Johnson State College, which was a college in Johnson, just over two and a half hours away from Hope Springs.

Marcus agreed to meet Bella and when he saw the results of her GED test which was an impressive 92%, as well as her high school transcripts and the glowing letters of recommendation that Bella had received from all of her teachers and her Principle, he met with the Education Faculty Department Heads and Bella was accepted to college the following week.

The next three days were a whirlwind of activity, with clothes to be bought, books and supplies to be purchased and living arrangements to be found.

Esme and Bella drove up to Johnson and after a call into the college housing office; they found a student's boarding house close to campus, which was run by a very sweet elderly lady, who was known to all of her boarders as 'Mrs. B'. Her home was a beautiful triple story crafters home, with large sunny rooms. Bella's 'suite' comprised of a large bedroom/sitting room, a tiny bathroom, and a 'kitchenette', which was really just a cupboard and a couple of shelves with a kettle and a microwave.

Mrs. B provided breakfast and dinner as well, which made Esme very happy to know that Bella would be looked after during the week. Bella was insisting on travelling home each week as she loved her garage apartment at the Cullens and she insisted on working in the shops each Saturday to keep her hand on the stock and inventory, which was now running with military precision.

The following Sunday, after lunch, Bella kissed and hugged her 'family' one last time, as Rosalie and Jacob did a last check of her car, Bella drove to college with tears rolling down her cheeks for the first twenty minutes.

As the distance between Hope Springs and Bella widened, the more excited she became. She knew that she was almost six weeks behind in her class, but she already agreed that she was prepared to do the work to catch up. She loved her colleges 'digs' but she had cried the first Friday that she could not go home because of her workload. She was determined to catch up and she had four papers due the following Monday.

As Esme had stood in the kitchen listening to Bella crying on the other side of the phone, she had to wipe her own tears off her cheeks before she phoned her two daughters-in-law, who immediately came up with a plan.

That Sunday, Bella sat in her bedroom, with her hair pulled up into a messy bun, wearing Edward's T-shirt as she finished her last paper. She sat back with a sigh as she printed out the last page.

All that was left to do was to do some reading and then to prepare for the following week. She had worked almost nonstop since getting home on Friday afternoon. Mrs. B had taken to knocking on Bella's door to remind her to eat something.

There was a knock at Bella's door and she smiled tiredly. Her stomach growled in response and she realized that she hadn't eaten since the previous evening and it was after noon already.

She opened the door and her mouth dropped open when she saw Brady standing smiling at her, "Mama says you gots to come downstairs to eat, my Belle."

Bella gasped and stuck her head out of the door; Jasper and Emmett were leaning against the wall with grins on their faces, which widened when they saw what she was wearing.

"Nice threads," Emmett said with a cocked eyebrow and a chuckled.

Bella looked down at herself and gasped and glared at the chuckling brothers who were enjoying her embarrassment.

She sniffed and knelt next to Brady, "Can you tell your mama that I will be downstairs in five minutes and take your silly daddy and uncle with you."

Brady smiled and nodded, "Gochta!" he turned around, and looked at his father and uncle, "Okay, boys, let's go!" He said as he waved his hands towards the stairs.

Bella closed her door with a solid bang before she clapped her hands and jumped up and down on the spot.

She flew into her shower as she took her clothes off.

Twelve minutes later Bella walked down the stairs in a new pair of jeans, a pair of low-heeled boots that was a gift from Alice, a long sleeved T-shirt and her new padded jacket.

She heard the voices coming from the front room and she could not hide her grin or the sheen of tears when she saw that the entire family had come to Johnson to see her.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked, even as she hugged and kissed everyone, her cheeks rosy with joy.

Carlisle cocked an eyebrow and in that moment he looked so much like Edward that Bella wanted to cry, "Well now, you don't think that we would let you waste away do you? You are looking far too pale and look at those bags under your eyes! You could pack luggage in them." He shook his head, "Isabella Swan, I will take you over my knee if you do not begin to get equal amounts of rest to your studies, do you hear me, young lady?" Bella could see that he was only half joking and she couldn't believe how her heart seemed to burst at the love and concern in his frown.

"Okay! Okay! So where is lunch? I'm starving!" She said and everyone laughed.

They bundled into the waiting cars and went to a local restaurant where Esme had booked a table.

Bella spent the afternoon surrounded by her family and by the time that they left, Bella felt as if she had been dipped in fresh water.

She promised herself that she would go home every weekend, because she _needed_ to see them and she missed her apartment.

=====HS=====

Bella had fallen in love with the medium sized apartment above the Cullen's garage from the moment that she had seen it.

Esme, Alice, Rosalie, Sue, Makenna and even Jess had helped to put the 'shabby chic' look together.

The stairs led from the inside of the garage to Bella's front door. The apartment was made up of three rooms. The 'great room' had the 'kitchen' along one wall with the 'sitting room' in front of it. There was a large old leather sofa with a couple of knitted throws and a colorful patchwork material one spread over the arm.

To one side of the room stood a round table and four chairs. Bella loved the high ceiling and the wooden floors, but most of all she loved the bay window recess covered in an old wooden paneling where the dining table stood on the side of the room which looked out over the orchards.

Bella's bedroom was feminine and pretty, with a large wrought iron bed that had been distressed. The wall had been kept white, but Alice had used old picture frames and window-shutters to create an art piece above her bed. Stuck in the middle of some of the picture frames were photographs of the family and some of the people in town that Bella had become friendly with.

Bella recognized an old quilt from Alice's shop, as well as lace covered cushions and a lace bedspread. She squealed when she saw the window seat in her room that overlooked the long driveway.

Her bathroom had a freestanding bath that stood on blocks on the wooden floor. Here Esme had accented the plain white room with delicately patterned towels, and nicnaks that were scattered about the rooms, making the entire space warm and girly without being over the top – and Bella loved it all.

In the corner of her great room was a dog's bed, complete with a basket of balls and other toys and Bella noticed the large container of kibble in the kitchen area. Her kitchen had been fully stocked groceries and Bella even noticed a couple of pre-packed homemade frozen dinners in the small deep freeze.

The entire apartment was a wonderful mixture of modern and old. The 'kitchen' was super modern with gleaming brand new looking appliances and Bella noticed the stack of recipe books on one of the shelves. The smell of bees wax and linseed oil was mixed with the fragrance of the large bouquet of wild flowers that stood on the dining table.

Bella had stood in the middle of the room as tears ran down her cheeks. She shrugged and looked at Esme, "I don't understand why you would do all of this for me…"

Esme walked across the room until she stood almost toe-to-toe with Bella, "We love you as if you were our own, Bella. I know that Edward hurt you when he left," Bella began to shake her head but Esme just smiled, "Yes he did. He is your friend and he just left, but we are here for you. We are not going anywhere and we want you to make your home here with us. One day, you will want to leave here and make your own place, and that's fine, but we will always be here. Do you understand?"

Bella nodded before she found herself enveloped in one of Esme's 'mama' hugs. Once Bella had dried her eyes she sighed, "I wish he was here. I miss him."

Esme smiled, but Bella could see how sad she was, "I know, honey. But you know, he is doing the right thing. Maybe this is what you both needed you know - a little breathing space."

Bella's eyes widened, "Have you spoken with him?"

Esme nodded, "Carlisle made him promise to call every night until he arrived in Santa Barbara. He arrived yesterday and,"

Bella got up quickly, "Great, well, I don't need to hear anymore. He obviously doesn't give a shit about the fact that I have wondered and worried about him every fu, damn day since he left! Now I need to get my stuff out the car."

Bella hadn't waited for Esme to respond before she had darted out the front door and almost knocked Carlisle over as she barreled down the stairs.

When she got to the bottom she stood at Esme's car, taking deep shaky breaths to calm herself.

_That fucking little turncoat! He lied to her! He told her that he was going to be there for her, but then he ran off and all because she had looked at him funny!_

"Bella?"

Bella spun around to see Carlisle standing next to her, "Oh! Carlisle, sorry, I was miles away."

"Miles away in Santa Barbara?" he asked quietly.

Bella gave Carlisle a dark look before she lost all bravado and nodded, "Not that he deserves it but yeah I was thinking about him."

Carlisle patted her arm as he reached inside the backseat to give her another load of clothes.

As he began to walk up the stairs he turned around suddenly and looked down at her, "You know, you can always read his letter and then decide if you ever want to talk to him again. It's just a thought."

A week later Bella had knocked on Carlisle's study door. She stood staring at him in silence with a scowl on her face that made Carlisle want to laugh. He had watched her pace outside his window for several minutes as she talked to herself before she had stomped up the steps and knocked on the front door. When Bree let her inside she had barely said hello before she asked for Carlisle and was pointed in the direction of his study.

After a few minutes of silence as Bella alternated between staring at her sneakers and glaring at Carlisle, she finally stuck her hands into the back pockets of her cut off jeans, "So, um, you, you know why I'm here, I suppose. I'm sure that this will give him a good laugh to know that I had to beg you for his stupid letter!"

Carlisle didn't move and Bella shifted uncomfortably, "So, may I please have it? The letter? From Edward?"

Carlisle nodded and reached into his top drawer and drew out the cream envelope. Bella could see her name written in a beautiful cursive. She snorted, "Figures that his handwriting is so freaking perfect!" she walked to the opposite side of the desk and stood staring at it as she rubbed her damp palms on her jeans.

Carlisle chuckled, "You are going to have to take it, Sweetheart, this isn't Hogwarts and our letters don't read themselves!"

Bella frowned, "What's 'Hogwarts'?"

Carlisle visibly paled, "You don't know 'Hogwarts'?"

Esme came in at that moment and stared at Bella, "Bella, you don't know Harry Potter?"

Bella narrowed her eyes as she looked from one to the other, "Harry who? Is he another one of your kooky residents?"

Esme and Carlisle stared at each other and then back at her before Carlisle thrust Edward's letter at Bella and leapt to his feet as he began to rummage through his bookcase which took up his entire one wall.

"Aha! Here they are!" he announced triumphantly.

He turned around and held out a book to Bella, "This is your next reading project and after you have read this one there are a few more and then you may watch the movies!"

Bella looked at him and shook her head slowly, "I'm sure that there is something in the water! As true as God, this town is certifiable. I assume that if I read this book I will know who Hogwarts and that Potter person is?"

Esme and Carlisle both nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, I'm studying for my GED, you know that. I don't have time to read…" she said as she walked to the doorway, "but as soon as I'm done with that, I'll be sure to get it from you. Thanks for the letter. Night." She said as she escaped to her apartment.

That night she deliberately waited until she had let Roscoe out to do his business for the last time and then she had taken a shower before she sat at the window seat with Edward's letter.

She finished her hot chocolate before she gently opened the envelope with trembling fingers. She was shaking so hard that it took a few minutes before she could actually read what Edward had written.

_**Isabella,**_

_**I am so sorry that I cannot say goodbye to you. I know that you must hate me for being a coward just like that asshole, Cowley. I just rode away like a thief in the night (well morning).**_

_**There are so many things that I want to say to you but I am so afraid that by saying them, by putting them out in the open, that my words will ruin what we had.**_

_**I know that I've probably ruined our friendship already, but on the off chance that I haven't and that you can still think a little kindly of me I'm just going to say them.**_

_**I was not prepared to ever fall for someone, so hard and so fast. But I did. From the moment that I first saw you, I knew that you were going to turn my life upside-down. And you did, in a good way.**_

_**You challenge me on everything. You argue and bicker and I have come to love that. At first I just wanted you to leave so that my life could go back to its boring existence. With no color, no gusto.**_

_**But you changed all of that. You've turned my world on its head and I don't know which way is up anymore, and that frightens me.**_

_**When I went to college, I was top of my senior class. University was nothing like I imagined it would be. I have never been more conscious of my 'small town' upbringing than when I arrived at a college that has around twenty thousand students at any one time. I was a small fish in a very big pond and although I tried to keep a firm grip on everything, but the end of the school year, I was mixing with some really unsavory people. A girl had latched onto our crowd and she seemed to like me and I was a horny teenager and so I took what she offered.**_

_**We all spent that summer together. I ignored my parents' attempts to bring me home. I didn't contact them or see them at all. I just spent my time getting high and popping E's. The sad part of this story is that I wasn't in love with Jenna. We just hooked up often. I had no idea that my so called 'friends' were only with me because I provided the money for our 'summer holiday'. I was naive and stupid and I had no idea that Jenna was hooked on crack amongst other things. Hell, most of them were.**_

_**One night I was high as a kite and I crawled into my bedroom. I saw that the bathroom light was on and I went to turn it off, that's when I saw Jenna. She was convulsing on the bathroom floor.**_

_**I remember screaming for someone to help us but everyone else was even more stoned and high than I was.**_

_**I got my cell and called 911 and then I cleaned the vomit out of Jenna's mouth and I held her in my arms as she died.**_

_**Officially, Jenna died from a cocktail of drugs that the coroner said 'would have killed an elephant'.**_

_**There was an enquiry and my father had to do some really fancy footwork to get the Dean to allow me to stay in school. I did six months of rehab at Living Hope with the Hales and a great councilor called Colin.**_

_**I took classes on-line to keep up and went back to school after six months. I did summer school to make up the credits, and worked my ass off to graduate early to prove to my parents that I had changed.**_

_**When I graduated from medical school, I was top of my class and I'm not telling you that to brag, I'm telling you that that is how far I went to change. I was determined to never lose control again. Every single step of my life from after that night was thought out and planned. Nothing deterred me from my goal of becoming a doctor and making my family proud of me again.**_

_**After my residency, I came home to work with my dad. I loved it. I loved the predictability of small town living. I loved the fact that I know everyone and they all know me. **_

_**And then one day, you came to town and suddenly I felt like a horny teenager all over again.**_

_**Please don't think that I don't want you Bella. I do, more than I should. I have tried to remind myself that you are almost ten years younger than me, that I should step aside so that you can find a boy closer to your own age.**_

_**But I'm too selfish for that. Everything about you draws me in, it's as if you have enchanted or bewitched me.**_

_**Your hair is so beautiful and half the time I have to fist my hands to keep them out of your hair. I feel like I could just stare into your eyes for hours and I love watching the way you move, the way you entice me, by simply running your hand through your hair. Now I know that you are probably rolling your eyes and muttering about what a 'pussy' I am, and I would have to agree with you. But you know what? I don't care.**_

_**I love your laugh and your quick mind. I love how inquisitive you are about everything. I love how you always say what's on your mind and every emotion shows on your face. You are a terrible poker player and it's wonderful.**_

_**I'm sorry that I couldn't stay, but Bella you have to understand, I'm no good for you right now. I need to get my head right and at the moment it's all screwed up! You have so much that you still need to do and I would just tie you down.**_

_**You don't need an old man like me, holding onto you as you learn to spread your wings. I want you to soar high, Isabella.**_

_**I want you to achieve all of your dreams, even though they don't include me.**_

_**Tonight in the room when I was playing the piano, I saw how you looked at me; I was looking at you the same way.**_

_**Fuck, there is nothing that I wanted more than to pull you into my arms and kiss you until we were both blue in the face.**_

_**I want to make love to you. I'm not talking about a sweaty fuck in the backseat of a car. No! I want to take my time and show you what it is to make love. I want to peal your clothes off your breathtaking body and worship you until you beg me to take you.**_

_**I want to bring you to climax, time after time until we are both too tired to move!**_

_**And that my sweet Isabella, is why I had to leave. I can't keep away from you any longer and I knew that if I stayed, we would have wound up in bed and it would have been too soon, love.**_

_**And so, at the risk of losing everything that I never knew I wanted until you! I am asking you to go ahead with your life.**_

_**I will come home. I promise you that, and maybe you will never talk to me again, but that is a risk that I'm willing to take.**_

_**This is for your own good and you will see that some day. You are the strongest, most courageous person that I've ever met. **_

_**Take care of yourself, Bella.**_

_**Yours with love,**_

_**Edward**_

=====HS=====

Bella sighed. She saw that she was just about half way home and decided to stop for a coffee. She pulled into the first stop that she saw and parked her car before she sent Esme a text message to tell her that she was stopping for a quick break.

She ordered coffee and a slice of apple pie before she used the bathroom and sat down in a window seat.

She knew that it was Edward's birthday and she wondered what he was doing. Was he going out with friends? Was he going out with a woman?

She felt her stomach twist into a jealous knot.

After Bella had read Edward's letter she had been tempted to tear it into a million pieces and burn it before she climbed onto a bus or train and went to find him.

But she didn't do any of that.

Instead, she had tucked the letter into her purse and the next day she had bought a pad of old fashioned writing paper and some envelopes.

She had written her first letter that night. It was short and to the point:

_**Dickward,**_

_**I hate you! You are a liar and coward!**_

_**IM Swan**_

Two days later she had written again. This time her letter was far more eloquent – well at least Bella thought so:

_**Asshole,**_

_**I can't believe that you just left! You not only left me but you left Roscoe and**__** we are never speaking to you again! **_

_**IM Swan**_

The next night Bella wrote another letter – this time she reminded herself not to break the pen in her hand as she was scrawling her 'words of wisdom':

_**Pond scum,**_

_**Can you tell me why you thought that it would be okay for me to pour my heart and soul out to you and yet you couldn't return the favor? Instead you ran away and you left your brother and your parents to explain it to me!**_

_**I'm not stupid, so don't treat me as if I am some half wit that can't grasp the truth.**_

_**You say you 'want' me, well that right there is bullshit, because if you 'wanted' me, you wouldn't have left! And don't tell me that this is for my own good!**_

_**How the fuck would you know?**_

_**Bella Swan**_

Bella climbed into bed and rubbed the hard hole in her chest.

=====HS=====

Edward had arrived at Living Hope three days after he had left Hope Springs. Megan and Brandon had taken one look at the disheveled, sad man with dark shadows under his eyes and skin that was pasty and almost grey in color and they had ordered him to bed.

He slept for eighteen hours straight that first day. When he emerged from the Hales spare bedroom, after he had showered he found Brandon waiting for him in the kitchen of the Spanish style hacienda that he and Megan had built on the far end of the compound.

Edward had accepted the large mug of coffee with a nod and a murmur of thanks as he sank onto one of the barstools at the counter.

Brandon ran a hand through his blonde hair and smiled at him, "You look like shit on two legs, Edward!"

Edward snorted, "Nice to see you too _Doctor_. Way to go on your people skills! Is this how you treat all of your patients?" he said snidely.

Brandon laughed out loud and Edward saw his blue eyes were sparkling with mischief, "Well not all of my patients arrive in the middle of the night looking and smelling like something that the cat dragged in. That scruff on your face is not charming man. But at least you smell better than you did last night."

Edward nodded as he scratched his beard with a wry smile, "Yeah well, 'a change is as good as a holiday' right?"

Brandon shook his head, "Two problems with that, son, one: you are not here for a holiday and two: running away is not change."

"Trust you to get straight to the heart of the matter." Edward griped.

"But that's what you came here for right? That and the fact that you are apparently in love with a young lady and you don't know what to do with her." Brandon stated quietly.

Edward felt as if the air had just left the room a he stared at Brandon, "What? I'm not… she's … it's not… fuck!" Edward sat forward and put his head between his knees as he gasped for breath.

Brandon sat calmly on the other side of the counter and waited for Edward to sit up again. He could see that the younger man was even paler; sheen of sweat covered his forehead.

Edward tugged his hair as his haunted eyes stared back at Brandon. He licked his suddenly dry lips and shrugged, "Is that what this is? If so then love fucking sucks! I thought that it was supposed to make a person happy, not sick to their stomachs!"

Brandon chuckled, "You my friend are in such a quandary because you have done a great fucking job of screwing up your own head! Edward, this is not the worst thing that could happen to you – or her! From what Carlisle's told me, Bella seems to be a remarkable young woman. What is your problem?"

Edward shook his head as he stood up and poured himself another cup of coffee before he turned to look out of the arched doors that looked out onto a courtyard that had tropical trees and shrubs that surrounded a bright blue swimming pool.

Edward spoke without turning around, "She is amazing. She's funny, smart, and brave, oh God! She is so brave. She is a fighter," he said with a chuckle, "she's warm and sweet, but she hides behind this tough, no bullshit shell." He sighed, "She is only eighteen, Brandon. She has had a fucked up life up to this point and now she has a chance to change all of that. Bella has a chance to finally have a home and a life and she can achieve her dreams!" He swung around suddenly, "So what the fuck would she want with me? I'm twenty-eight years old and I don't know how to be a boyfriend never mind a husband or a father! I have nothing to offer Bella." He said sadly.

Brandon stood up and walked over to Edward. He took the mug out of his hand and put it on the counter before he turned back to him. Edward felt the smack on his cheek before he saw the hand move.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Edward roared.

Brandon folded his arms across his chest as he glared at Edward, "My sentiments exactly! Get your fucking head out of your ass Edward! Stop being so fucking pitiful! Look at you! Anyone would think that Bella hated your guts! Does she even know why you left? Did she reject your advances?"

Edward's eyes were black with fury, "I didn't come here for this! I left her a letter and no, she didn't reject me!"

Brandon stepped into Edward's path as he turned to leave the room, "This is exactly why you came here! Throwing away your career is not an option! Drug's and drinking is not an option! This is not about Bella, Edward; _this is about you_. Bella is only the catalyst that has made you realize that you don't think you are worthy to be loved. You don't think that you deserve to be loved. And that my young friend is Jenna's fault! She was selfish enough and stupid enough to allow you to use her body without engaging your mind or heart, and then she died in your arms, which is probably the most intimate act that two people can encounter. You felt guilty. You blamed yourself for not loving her and you felt guilty for not loving her or for not bothering to get to know her."

Brandon's eyes softened and he put his hand on Edward's taught shoulder, "Edward, what happened with Jenna was a tragic event. But you were never to blame. The drugs and addictions were the cause of Jenna dying. Not you. You need to resolve this once and for all before you can go to Bella with a guilt free heart."

He straightened up and stepped away from Edward, "Now, are you ready to go and have some dinner? You look like you haven't eaten in days."

Edward nodded, "I haven't eaten in days. Just let me shave off this beard before Megan gets on my case and phones Mom."

Brandon laughed, "Good man. I'll wait for you."

=====HS=====

After ten days of the most intense therapy Edward was feeling and looking a lot better. He had begun with three sessions a day, one being a group session, and at the same time he had been put on a healthy diet and a demanding exercise regime.

Megan and Brandon believed that a holistic approach was the best when combating the ravages of addiction. While Edward didn't live an unhealthy lifestyle, he could feel the changes in his body as the days passed.

He became more focused, he was sleeping like a log and his body had become even more streamlined and muscular.

A month after he arrived, Edward was at breakfast one morning when Maggie walked over to the table where he sat with Brandon and his friend, and the medical doctor who was in charge of the infirmary, Doctor Eli Brown.

"Morning everyone! How are we all this morning?" Megan said as she kissed her husband's cheek and sat down next to Edward.

She looked at Edward with a grin, "So, Edward; Colin and Brandon say that you are doing well enough to 'graduate' from patient to volunteer next week. How do you feel about that?"

Edward smiled, "That sounds great. It's been a killer schedule, but it has been well worth the work. So, when can I start?" He looked across at Eli.

"What about Monday? I can get you up to speed on our patients and you can take the afternoon shift? I'll do mornings and we can alternate on evenings and on-calls. How does that sound?"

Edward was positively beaming, "That sounds great!"

Brandon smiled at him, "I'm glad to hear you say that, because Megan has something for you. Well a few something's actually."

Megan held out several envelopes to Edward with a smirk, "I can bet that I know who these are from." She teased.

Edward took the envelopes from her and stared down at the unfamiliar but completely enduring chicken scratching.

_Bella._

His heart clenched with an unbridled fear_. What if she was telling him to go and fuck himself and that she wanted nothing to do with him?_

"Edward?" Edward looked up to find himself alone with Brandon.

"You are prepared for whatever these letters say, yes?"

Edward sighed and nodded, "Yeah, even if she wrote," he quickly counted the envelopes, "six letters telling me that she hated me; I understand that there are consequences to my actions".

Brandon smiled, "Good man; okay then, I'll leave you alone."

Edward nodded and for the next few minutes he just allowed his fingers to trace Bella's untidy handwriting.

He grinned when he looked closer and noticed that the envelopes that had been posted after the first three or so appeared to have a more of a flow to the writing and less slashes on the paper.

_She was definitely pissed off_, he thought, even as his heart filled with a happiness that was completely unfounded.

Edward fetched bottled water from the commercial fridge in the dining room before he walked out to one of the meditation gardens. There were about twelve meditation gardens that were landscaped in various styles.

Edward's favorite was set amongst a copse of trees. A porch swing stood under the cool canopy and it faced a pretty, natural looking water feature.

Edward settled down into the comfortable seat before he began to open the envelopes in date order.

He cringed when he read her first letter. He could feel her anger and distress coming off the words. Her second letter was no better and Edward felt sick at what he had put her through.

The only thing that made him smile were her very inventive names that she chose for him.

It was the fifth letter that made Edward swallowed the lump in his throat:

_**Edward,**_

_**You've been gone for almost two weeks now. I miss you. I'm sorry that I wrote those things but I was so pissed off with you. **_

_**I'm not angry anymore. Not really. I 'm just sad and I miss you. We miss you, Roscoe, and I.**_

_**I didn't tell you that he lives with me now. Your mother offered to send him to Rosalie or put him on some sort of roster or something equally fucking in appropriate, but I said 'no!'. I don't see why he has to suffer because of something that you did. So, yeah, he has a bed and a basket of toys and his food bowl and two water bowls as well as water bowls in May-May's garden.**_

_**He spends the day there when I am working and then I take him for a run, did I tell you that I started running with him? Yeah, that is so your fault. He sees his leash and he thinks that he's going for a run! So I had to buy trainers and now I run with him. It's getting colder though but your father has told me that I can't run with him when it begins to snow! I don't know why, I mean it's just hard water, but he got all bossy about it, so I will have to put Ross on a treadmill or something.**_

_**Edward, there is so much that I want to tell you. I wish that I could hear your voice. Well, I was writing to you in secret but then that nosy Mrs. Cope just had to say something to Darla, who told Lauren, who had tea with Angela and Jessica, who both phoned Alice, who then tried to organize an inter-fucking-vention if you can believe that!**_

_**She and Rose took me out for 'lunch' which turned into them trying to tell me that I have to give you 'time' and 'space' to 'find yourself' or some fucking excuse.**_

_**FIND YOURSELF? **__**Where the fuck did you lose yourself?**_ _** I haven't laughed like that in, well since you left actually.**_

_**All I can say is thank fuck neither of your sisters are shrinks because that shit was just plain nasty! And then, I may or may not have lost my temper and Alistair may or may not have called Jasper who may or may not have carried me out of the pub after I threatened his wife and sister-in-law with a knife after they threatened to 're-route' my letters.**_

_**Anyway, Jasper was on my side when I explained what had happened and he very sweetly offered to post my letters for me after having a stern word with Alice, Rosalie and Mrs. Cope about 'stealing mail which is a federal offence. You should have seen Mrs. Cope's face!**_

_**Okay so anyway, I hope that this letter reaches you. **_

_**So Roscoe is doing fine. I hope you don't mind but I sometimes take him to your house so that he can just run around a familiar place. He misses you. I miss you.**_

_**I miss your laughter and how you always call me out on my bullshit. I miss your friendship and sharing hot chocolate with you late at night.**_

_**I know that it's inappropriate but I miss the nights when I snuggled next to you when I couldn't sleep. I miss your gentle touch and even though we have never kissed on the lips, I miss the way you kiss my temple or my cheek.**_

_**Damn it Edward! This self-imposed exile is not fair! I never chose this, and while I understand why, I don't have to like it!**_

_**I miss you.**_

_**Please don't feel as if you have to write back to me, in fact I don't think that you should write back, this is my thing.**_

_**Take care of yourself,**_

_**Bella.**_

Edward was floored by the sudden longing that he had to get onto his motorbike and go home. He was almost overwhelmed by the pain that his leaving had caused. He had laughed in some places of her letter and he had also brushed a couple of tears away.

He loved that she was getting on so well with his family and he could hear the love in her words – even towards the interfering Alice and Rosalie even if they were well-meaning.

As he was reading her letter, he imagined her sitting somewhere writing it. Was she curled up on a chair in her ridiculous boy shorts and tank top? Or perhaps sweat pants and a sweat shirt?

He eagerly opened the last envelope, which he noticed had been posted just a few days before.

_**Edward,**_

_**The Apple Festival is this weekend. I wish that you were here to take me on one of those hayrides that you told me about. **_

_**Hey, I didn't tell you that I passed my drivers test! Oh yeah! I totally rock! (Sorry, but I've been spending time with Bree – blame your sister for my juvenile vocabulary!). **_

_**Your dad applied for me to get a 'special circumstances' drivers permit test so that I can drive myself to college and back without having to have a designated driver in the car all the time. That happens tomorrow, I am taking that tomorrow.**_

_**Oh yeah, I have some things to tell you. I wrote my GED yesterday. I didn't tell anyone, but I have been studying my ass off for the past four weeks and I phoned them to change my appointment and yesterday, I caught a bus to Hartford and wrote it. **_

_**I will tell you what happens, okay? No one knows so please don't say anything when you phone. Yes, I know that you still phone your parents and your brothers. At first I was hurt that you didn't phone me, but there is so much that we need to say that a phone call would just be a waste of time, because I want to see your face when we talk, if we talk.**_

_**Do you even want to talk to me? God! I hate how I doubt myself when it comes to you! And then I remember that it's your fault that I doubt myself at all! You were the one to leave and yet I still fucking miss you like crazy! **_

_**Excuse the rant. **_

_**Did I tell you that your father tried to force me to read a book called 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'? Talk about an oddball, and all because he made some comment about some called 'Hogward' or something and when I told him that I didn't know who that was, he and your mother looked at me like I was nuts! So he jumped up and started mumbling to himself like a loon before he virtually throws this book at me. **_

_**Well, Potter and Hogward are going to have to wait because I have a drivers test to worry about and Emmett's taking me. He's quite cool; once you get past the fact that he is a child trapped in a man's body and that Jed it actually more mature than he is most times.**_

_**Your family has been amazing over the past few weeks. You should see the garage apartment! I'll ask Bree to take some pictures and print them out for me and then I'll send them to you. Did you know that I have a window seat in my bedroom? It's awesome! I have your old sofa in the great room. I like it there and I will admit that some nights, especially now that it's getting colder, Ross and I snuggle up on it together. He watches television and I study.**_

_**I didn't know that he was such a Hollywood ho'! He loves all the gossip shows and I think that he has a crush on one of the Kardashian people! Honestly, I kid you not! He barks when I try to change channels if they are on and he just lies there with this stupid smirk on his face (kind of reminds me of you sometimes!). **_

_**Anyway, I told him that it was kind of creepy the way he is lusting after those girls. He just rolled upside down and grinned at me.**_

_**So I was telling you about your family. They are amazing! I guess that I don't have to tell you that, but Jasper took me to buy my very own laptop and printer. He tried to convince me to get a new phone, but I said no, I don't really need one, do I?**_

_**I need to get some sleep. I hope that you are okay and that you have put things into perspective a bit.**_

_**Bella**_

Edward was so excited when he read the letter. He was so proud of Bella and what she had achieved in such a short space of time. He wondered how the hell she had gotten ready for her GED's in such a short space of time. He worried that she was neglecting herself, and he hinted to his brothers to keep a firm eye on her.

Emmett called him on his not so subtle hints and laughed at him outright. Jasper told him to mind his own business at first but when he heard that Edward was truly concerned, he promised that they were all taking care of 'his Bella'.

The following week Edward made the transitions to attending volunteer doctor and although he wondered about Bella, he was kept busy with familiarizing himself with all of the case files and histories of each person at Living Hope. It was important to know as much as possible about each person because when it came to medical treatment and drug addiction, the doctors were very careful what they prescribed to patients who got sick or injured.

All week Edward pestered Megan for mail. When she knocked at his door that evening and held out a letter, Edward hugged her until she hit him to release her.

Edward closed his door and then he tore the envelope open.

_**Edward – I FUCKING ACED THE GED!**_

_**I really did! OH MY GOD – I WISH YOU WERE HERE, EDWARD!**_

_**I have just got home from dinner with your family. You dad found me in the fucking driveway just after I had read my results and I had to show him the letter, he went crazy! And May-May started crying and then she was phoning people and we went to that little Italian place in town.**_

_**It was awesome, but you were not there. Fuck, Edward, I wish that you would come home, but I know that we both need this time apart.**_

_**I hate to say it, but you were right. (Stop smirking!)**_

_**I have now set my sights on my next goal: I want to go to college. I know that it's a long shot to get anyone to accept me now, but I talked to your dad and he said that he knows someone called Marcus Volturi? Apparently he is the big shot of some college here in Vermont.**_

_**By the way I scored a total of 3680 out of 4000, and amazing 92% for my GED, I believe that is a great score, or as Emmett said "Fucking amazing!" yeah, that was when your mom sent him outside for ten minutes to think of his 'barbaric language'. I almost wet myself, has she not met me?**_

_**And I'm getting my car back from Jake in a couple of days. I'm really excited to see what it looks like. Rosalie has spent a few weekends helping him and she told me that it looks and is amazing.**_

_**I'm nervous about what's around the corner you know? I know that I can do this but I wish that I didn't have to do it alone.**_

_**Your family is great and I have found sisters and brothers and a mother and father who are wonderful and supportive, but I miss my friend something fierce.**_

_**Take care of yourself, Edward.**_

_**Yours as always, **_

_**Bella.**_

The following week flew by and another letter arrived. Edward could tell by the envelope that it was thin and he nervously opened it.

_**Hey, Edward,**_

_**How are you? I just wanted to let you know that I have been accepted to **__**Johnson State College**__**! **_

_**I have three days to get everything that I need and I leave on Sunday, to report for lessons on Monday. I still have to see my advisor, find a place to stay and have a farewell barbeque. This will probably be the last of the season, because it is getting fucking cold around here!**_

_**Your mother and sisters are scaring me with the manic look in their eyes whenever I mention shopping. Esme and I are driving up to Johnson tomorrow. As I'm sure you remember, it is chaos around here, all I seem to do is try on clothes, try to protest about the amount of stuff your family think that I need while trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am going to college!**_

_**Who would have believed that three months ago, I was pregnant and alone, living in my car and hoping that I would find a job as a dish washer or a maid to support myself and raise my baby.**_

_**I still miss the baby you know? But I know that it's natural Rosalie has been the most amazing support and so has Jasper. Did I tell you that I have been seeing him professionally once a week? It began when he took me to buy my laptop. Somehow we got talking and before I knew it, we were parked on the side of the road, while I just told him what was on my mind. He has helped me to put things into perspective.**_

_**He is a huge part of the reason that I don't hate you. He is a good friend but he is a great brother. He is very supportive of 'us', if there is such a thing and he is your biggest champion, Edward.**_

_**Btw – I got my car back; can you say pimped out ride? It's incredible! It looks brand new, except that it's still the car that my father left me, you know? Anyway, Rose added the finishing touch by putting a small sheriff's star and a little carving of a swan on a chain and she put it around my rear view mirror. It was so sweet of her. So every man in your family as well as Billy, Mike from the diner and Alistair have checked 'Bumblebee' out (oh yes, Jake had 'Bumblebee' inscribed on the rear fender under orders from your brothers! What is it with your family and movies? They are still aghast that I don't know who the fuck 'bumblebee' is! They are so fucking weird, but I love them) and they had told me that it is the safest car on the road. **_

_**I have onboard navigation, with a tracking system and alarm; a kick ass sound system (courtesy of Emmett and Rose) a plug in cooler box (From Jake and Nessie); a plug in heater for my travel mug (from Billy and Sue); a COMPLETE road side assistance kit (Sherriff Jasper and Alice) and a first aid kit, including emergency flashing lights! (From your worrywart father and over protective mother! I love them). So, I can perform open-heart surgery or survive for 4 days on Mount Everest, while eating a huge meal and drinking hot chocolate with all of this stuff. Now I just have to find some space for my luggage! Lucky I travel light and I'm coming home often. God, Edward I wish you were here, your family misses you so much.**_

_**I miss you so much.**_

_**Anyway, I'm not sure when I will write again, but, I just wanted you to know that everything that you wished for me is coming true.**_

_**Is this what you wanted when you left? **_

_**Thank you, my friend, for believing in me. I hope that you know that I believe in you too.**_

_**Roscoe will be moving in with Esme and Carlisle, I made them promise to look after him and he will have play dates with the kids during the week and then I will be home on Fridays to collect him, so he is going to be in good hands.**_

_**Take care of yourself,**_

_**Your Bella**_

Edward had called his father straight away. Carlisle told him about Bella meeting with Marcus, and how he was impressed with her school records as well as her GED score. He had offered Bella a place on condition that she work extra hard to make up for the lost time and that she would sit for her finals along with everyone else at the end of the fall semester.

Edward had gone online and he had purchased a hooded sweatshirt with the school's badge on it, as well as a hot pink T-shirt and one in the school colors of blue and green. He had it sent to his parent's home.

The following week, he had received a letter that was short and sweet:

_**Hey Edward,**_

_**This is just a quick note to say 'Thank you' for my hoodie and my T-shirts, love the pink one! It made Alice squeal. I am settling in well, and college is everything that I dreamed it would be, but I am drowning in work! I hope that I can do this; I am one month behind in lessons **_

_**I am staying at a boarding house run by a sweet old lady called Mrs. B. She fusses over us like crazy and your mother loves her!**_

_**I have got to go, I have four papers due next week and so I need to get cracking. I miss you so much; I hope that you are doing better.**_

_**Take care, Edward, and come home soon,**_

_**Your Bella**_

Edward had received two more letters, both were shorter than the earlier ones and both spoke about college classes, her advisors, and the huge amount of homework and studying that she did every day. She mention that she had made 'friends' with two girls at college, but their outings so far had consisted of quick cups of coffee grabbed during study sessions.

On one hand Edward worried that Bella was working too hard and that she was going to burn out if she didn't take a break but on the other hand he was thrilled that she hadn't succumbed to keg parties and other coed gatherings.

After his shift was over, Edward made his way to the small guest apartment at the Hale's home to change into shorts and for his game with Jeff.

He could not resist the box sitting at the foot of his bed, overflowing with parcels.

He barely glanced at the brightly wrapped packages as he rooted around for the letters at the bottom of the box.

He smiled when he saw that every member of his family had written him a letter or sent him a card, even the children. He put his hand onto the familiar cream paper and smiled.

He quickly looked at his watch that told him that he still had some time before his game as he opened the envelope.

The first things that he saw were photographs. There were photos of each member of his family as well as some of Roscoe and Bella, Bella's apartment; there were photos of the town, Main Street, Dorset Common, his house. Edward gave up trying to stop the ache in his heart or the tears from running down his cheeks as he opened the letter:

_**Dearest Edward,**_

_**HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope that you have a great day and that you are enjoying yourself. I know that we haven't talked about it, so I don't know if you have a date tonight or anything, but I hope that you have a good time doing whatever your are going to do.**_

_**Anyway, I made you something, but I know that it's not very good, so I asked Bree to help me take some photos to remind you of what and who is waiting for you on the East Coast, don't get too cozy buster! Roscoe is such a little drama king; he loves the camera as you can see! How do you like the apartment? Oh! That reminds me, THANK YOU for the house warming present, I forgot to thank you. The remodeled kitchen appliances were wonderful, because they are the same as at your place and the cookbooks for beginners are fantastic. The cooking club membership was really thoughtful and so far, I have learned to cook a couple of Italian meals, pancakes (without burning the kitchen down), I've also done a roast and soup! And I have not burned anything, so far. It is nice to be able to cook with fresh produce and meat and not just throw frozen fish cakes and frozen peas together – besides making macaroni and cheese, that was really the sum of my culinary achievements in foster care.**_

_**I was given a box of some of my father's stuff that his friends from Phoenix had kept – I guess that they were hoping that I would come looking for him one day. I haven't opened it yet – I'm a little nervous to be honest and I really don't have time to have an emotional meltdown. So, I put it in the closet and I'll save it for a 'rainy day'.**_

Edward quickly sorted through the presents until he found the one from Bella. He tore open the paper and pulled out what was probably the ugliest looking knitted scarf. He liked the dark green wool, but the stitches were loose and there were joins and holes but he pressed it to his nose and closed his eyes. He could almost see Bella sitting with a determined scowl on her face as she stuck her tongue out or bit her bottom lip as she knitted row after painstaking row.

He picked up the letter again:

_**Anyhow, I know that my gift is fuck-ugly but I spent the past month knitting it and the color reminds me of your eyes, also you will need it when you ride home.**_

_**School is fine and I'm just looking forward to Thanksgiving break, even though I won't be taking too much of a break because finals are staring me in the face!**_

_**I need to go, so enjoy your day and take care of yourself.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Bella**_

Edward picked up the scarf again. He shook his head and smiled as he buried his nose in it again. It smelled of Bella, strawberries, and flowers, just Bella.

Suddenly he couldn't wait to go home.

=====HS=====

**A/N: So lots happening in this chapter. I wasn't sure if it would work like this, but I hope that you caught the gist of it. ****About three months has passed since Edward has left in this chapter.**

**Edward's birthday is November 22****nd**** – Bella arrived in Hope Springs in August. I just couldn't leave you hanging for an entire week before an update – I don't know how some of our wonderful writers do it, but I was so moved by your reviews that I just had to make it up to you!**

**Next chapter – he is going home! Yay!**

**Till next time,**

**Michele**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 13 – **_

He picked up the letter again:

_**Anyhow, I know that my gift is fuck-ugly but I spent the past month knitting it and the color reminds me of your eyes, also you will need it when you ride home.**_

_**School is fine, I'm just looking forward to Thanksgiving break, even though I won't be taking too much of a break because finals are staring me in the face!**_

_**I need to go, so enjoy your day and take care of yourself.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Bella**_

Edward picked up the scarf again. He shook his head and smiled as he buried his nose in it again. It smelled of Bella – strawberries and flowers – just Bella.

Suddenly he couldn't wait to go home.

**CHAPTER 14 – 'ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS…'**

Bella woke up and felt as if she hadn't closed her eyes at all. She glared at the clock and saw that it was just past six in the morning and groaned. She had only crawled into bed three hours earlier. It was the day of her last final and then she was going home for Winter break.

She stretched and slowly pulled the covers back and sat up.

"Oh God! When will this horror end? Just one more exam and then I can go home." She grumbled as every bone in her body protested as she flipped the kettle on and shuffled to the shower.

After she had shampooed and conditioned her hair and used her signature body wash, Bella walked back into her room and made herself a mug of instant coffee.

She sat at her desk and ate a bowl of cereal with muesli, nuts, dried fruit and yoghurt as she skimmed through her last exam material.

When she had finished eating, Bella rinsed her bowl, spoon and mug out and towel dried her body and hair before she tried to decide what to wear.

Just as she was about to reach for her trusted jeans, Bella's eyes lit upon the navy, red, white and black tartan skirt that was pleated and ended mid thigh. She knew that Alice had provided her with thick black tights and a white 'schoolboy' shirt, a red skinny tie and a cute black cardigan to finish the whole ensemble. Bella finished off her outfit with the high heeled black Mary Jane's and the padded white coat with the faux fur collar that Esme and Carlisle had insisted on buying for her.

Bella smiled as she locked her door and pulled on her mittens, cap and scarf. Each week Esme would have another knitted item for her to take back – from knitted bed socks that were striped in bright colors and she could pull them up over her knees, to chunky and warm sweaters with extra long sleeves so that Bella could pull them over her fingers to delicately patterned 'Fair Isle' cardigans, with pretty pearl buttons.

In between studying like a lunatic, Bella had packed for the almost month long break that she was looking forward to. She still had a bit of catching up to do but according to all of her teachers she was only about a week behind. All of her professors and TA's had been so helpful in assisting Bella to get up to date and in some instances, she was being told to slow down! Bella was so hungry to learn that most nights would either find her at the library studying or doing additional reading or sitting curled up in the 'shaggy', woolen afghan throw that Esme had sent to her, reading or typing away on her laptop.

In-between her workload; Bella found time to write at least one letter a week to Edward. It was her way of keeping in touch. She pretended that he read her letters. She pretended that he looked forward to them. It was cathartic for her to think of him, miles away, sitting somewhere in the warm sun, reading her silly letter. Maybe smiling at something that she wrote.

The only sign that he had read her letters was a gift of several items of clothing with the college logo on it that Carlisle had given to her when she went home for the weekend.

Bella's eyes had flooded with traitorous tears that she had scrubbed away roughly as she stared at the parcel.

"Is it… did he..." she licked her lips and cursed herself for not being able to form a cohesive sentence, "Is that from um, you and Esme?" she asked, willing her heart to stop beating like a wild bird in her chest. She knew that she shouldn't get her hopes up, but there was a part of her that would not stop hoping for some _sign_ from him – anything.

Carlisle shook his head and smiled at her gently, "Edward is very proud of you, Bella. He wanted me to make sure that you know that."

Bella sagged against the door frame, no longer even trying to hide her tears.

"_Then why can't he tell me that his own damn self?_ Why? Is he that scared of me? Do I scare him? Is he pissed off because of the pregnancy thing? Is he afraid that I have HIV or something? What?" Bella's voice had risen steadily until she was almost shouting until she clamped her hand over her mouth when she remembered that it was Carlisle standing in front of her, not Edward.

Carlisle dropped the parcel and put his arms around her, ignoring her half-hearted protests before she surrendered and her small hands gripped his shirt front as she let the tears fall freely.

Roscoe stood in the doorway and glared at his master's father. He didn't like it when his girl was upset. She would hold onto him and make his coat wet and sticky and he could feel how she trembled sometimes.

Carlisle led Bella into her apartment and steered her over to the sofa. Once she was sitting down he quietly went about putting the kettle on to boil, before he went into her bathroom and returned with a box of tissues.

Bella whimpered a thank you when he put the box on the floor at her feet, the small act of kindness made her want to cry even more but she held back.

Carlisle put a cup of tea before her onto the old leather travel case that Alice had put in front of the sofa as a coffee table/storage space.

He held his own cup and sat down next to Bella.

For long minutes the two of them sat side by side sipping their tea.

When Bella felt that she had her emotions under control again, she spoke quietly, "I'm sorry, Carlisle, I didn't mean to go off at you. It's just that sometimes I feel so … _abandoned_ by Edward."

Carlisle opened his mouth to speak but Bella held up her hand, "Please, I know why he left and I have even admitted that he was right to leave. I don't think that I would have been as driven to do all of this if he had been here. It doesn't mean that I'm still pissed off with him for taking my choices away from me."

Carlisle put his cup on the table and reached over to take Bella's hand in his, "Bella, I love Edward more than my own life, but I am not immune to his flaws. You and Edward need to sit down when he gets home and you need to have this out with him."

Bella nodded.

Carlisle hugged her and walked to the door, where he turned with a teasing smile, "So, are you going to open your present?"

Bella gave him a watery grin, "Sure".

She waited until just before she went to bed before she opened the parcel. She laughed and cried when she saw the hot pink t-shirt. Edward knew that she would have to be dead or desperate to wear that color. It seemed that Edward had ordered everything from a couple of pairs of 'gym' shorts that were really short, to tank tops, t-shirts, hooded sweat shirts and even a couple of pairs of sweat pants. Bella rolled her eyes at all of the clothing in various colors and styles.

She slipped on his old school T-shirt with his name across the back that he had given her to sleep in when she got home from the hospital and she climbed into bed with her writing paper.

'_**Hey Edward, **_

_**This is just a quick note to say 'Thank you' for my hoodie and my T-shirts …'**_

=====HS=====

Bella knocked into someone and she realized that she had walked across campus and was standing outside the hall where she was due to write her last exam. She had surprised herself by enjoying American History so much. She and Jasper had a few heated discussions over a couple of chapters. Bella was glad that it was her last final exam.

She had been thinking about doing Social Studies as her second major, as she had to have two majors, not just one to qualify as an Elementary Teacher. She decided to talk it over with Carlisle when she got home.

Just thinking about the warm laughter, hugs and company, made her long to be home. A small voice inside her head reminded her that Edward should be home soon.

Christmas can't come soon enough!

She put everything else out of her mind as she waited for the exam to begin.

Bella walked out of the lecture hall and for a moment she just stood outside with her head tipped up towards the dull, overcast sky and took a deep breath.

She felt as if she could sleep for a week and just the thought of the long drive home filled her with dread. She pulled out her phone and turned it on, only to see a missed call from Esme.

She hit Esme's speed dial button and smiled wearily when she heard the other woman's voice, "So, how was it Darling?"

Bella walked towards her car, "It went well, I think. At least it's over and I don't have to think of school or studying until after New Year!" she groaned.

Esme clucked sympathetically, "Aw Bells, you sound so tired sweet girl. Why don't you have a sleep and come through later?"

Bella unlocked her car and climbed in quickly. "No, it's okay. Everything is already packed and I've cleaned out my fridge and stripped my bed, and my car is already loaded up, so I'm leaving now and I will be home soon."

"Well just drive carefully and please stop somewhere and get some coffee and have something to eat, okay?" Bella could hear that Esme was concerned.

"I promise, 'mom'. Stop worrying, you know that I'm a good driver." Bella teased.

"Humph! Sassy girl! Do you have your chains on your wheels?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "Yes, May-May. I can put those damn things on in my sleep! Remember the 'lesson from hell' that Emmett, Carlisle, and Jasper put me through for half the day? So yeah, the chains are on. Um, have you heard anything from… _him_?"

Esme was sitting in her office in the shop and she smiled to herself. Bella very seldom asked about Edward, and then she usually only asked Carlisle any questions that she had.

"He called yesterday, sweetie. He will be home by Christmas Eve, just as he promised." Esme said gently.

Bella snorted into the phone, "Oh! Okay, well I will call again when I stop for a coffee break in about an hour or so."

"Bye Bells."

Bella sighed and rolled her shoulders as she put her car into gear and headed to the neared coffee shop – she was going to need all the caffeine that she could get her hands on!

=====HS=====

Edward was sad to say goodbye to the new and old friends that he had worked with for the past four months but he couldn't deny his mounting excitement to be going home.

The day after Jeff 'graduated', Edward packed his saddle-bags, and his backpack, before he said goodbye to everyone. He and Jeff had been given a joint 'farewell party' the previous evening and when Jeff came to say goodbye to him that morning, Edward had promised to stay in touch with the teenager. Jeff's parents had uprooted their entire lives, by moving out of the city to a smaller town so that Jeff wasn't tempted to run with his old crowd of friends.

He had called his mother and told her that he was heading homeward, but he asked her to keep it between them as he wasn't sure how long it would take him to get home.

Megan had her arm looped through Edward's as she and Brandon walked Edward to where his large black motorbike stood in their driveway.

"Now, Edward, promise me that you will bring Bella to visit sometime," Megan said.

Brandon snorted and shook his head at his wife, "You are incorrigible Darling!"

Megan rolled her eyes as she tapped the side of her head, "I know things." She said with a grin and a wink.

Edward laughed, "I promise, _if_ she has any spare time and _if_ she is still talking to me then maybe we will come out to see you in the summer."

Brandon chuckled, "We will be out for Easter, and we will probably see you then."

The laughter died down when Edward put his helmet onto the seat of his bike and turned to face the two people that had been lifesavers to him.

"I want to thank you both for having me here. When I got here I was such a basket case and from the first slap that you gave me, you have helped me to get my head out of my ass and to put my life into some sort of perspective." Edward said quietly.

Megan reached up and hugged Edward tightly before she wiped her eyes and smiled up at him, "You are welcome here anytime, Edward. We love you just as if you were our own. I'm so glad that you allowed us to help you."

Brandon nodded and Edward smiled at how much their respective daughters looked and behaved like their parents. Rosalie was only a little shorter than her Nordic looking father and she was so much like Brandon with his compassionate nature and just like him, Rosalie didn't take shit from anyone nor did she suffer fools gladly.

Alice was as tiny as her mother and they both shared what they called 'the sight'. Edward knew that there was something to what they said because Alice and Megan both possessed insight into people's behavior and characters.

Brandon put a slim hand on Edward's shoulder as his sky blue eyes met Edward's, "Remember Edward; you call Collin or myself anytime of the day or night if you need to, but don't doubt yourself. You are a good man with great family values and a lot to offer any woman. Bella is lucky to have you, son."

With a last wave, Edward had set his sights on a snow-laden town in Vermont.

He was going home.

=====HS=====

Bella was glad to pull into the small parking lot of the French restaurant that she liked to stop at in Montpelier. She still had an hour and a half to drive to get home but she knew that after a walk about and a meal, she would feel much better.

Her stomach rumbled loudly reminding her that she had eaten almost nothing in the past few days. If it hadn't been for her landlady, she would never have stopped to eat dinner every evening.

The elderly waitress smiled warmly at Bella, "Hello Bella! Are you heading home, honey?"

Bella smiled and nodded, "Finally! Doris, I need to fill up on something hot and lots of coffee!"

Doris nodded as she filled a large mug with her ever-present pot of coffee.

Bella placed her order for a steaming bowl of _Daube de Boeuf_, which was a delicious stew combination of beef shank, bacon, red wine and vegetables slow cooked in thick gravy and served over a bed of rice.

Bella's mouth would not stop watering and she finished off a half of a crusty French loaf that was served with the meal.

Once she was full and her energy had been replenished; Bella filled her car with petrol and she was grateful that the garage attendant helped her to take the chains off her tires after he checked the local weather forecast and told her that the roads were clear all the way back to Hope Springs.

Bella was determined to stay in an upbeat mood and not dwell on how well or how badly she did on her finals; or if Edward was on the road home, or if he was leaving later than her; so she put on her radio and hummed along to the Christmas carols while she ticked off all the gifts that she had already bought for most of the people on her list.

There were just eight days to go until Christmas and Bella was looking forward to spending her first 'real' Christmas that she could remember, as part of a family.

Bree, Jed, Emma, Brady, and Chelsea had wasted no time in filling Bella in on the 'Cullen Family Traditions' as they called them. Well, all except Brady who just said 'it's just a bunch of stuff dat we do so dat Santa Nick comes here, Belle." Bella grinned when she thought of the sandy-haired little boy that had stolen a large piece of her heart.

Often over the weekend, when Bella was working on one paper or another, the four children could be found sitting in her small living space, watching television or drawing quietly. The first time that they had invaded her home, they had pushed Brady to the front of their small crowd as they stood at her front door.

"Hey, Belle? Can you come an' play with us?" Brady had asked with a frown.

Bella shook her head sadly and told them that she had too much work to do.

Brady was undeterred and asked if they could come inside.

Bella had let them know that she had lots of homework to do and that she would not put up with any interference.

Surprisingly all four of the children had agreed that if they were to join her in her apartment, they would be quiet, "Just like dem tiny mice, Belle. Ya know like in dat Cinderella story?" Brady had nodded as he pushed his thick hair out of his eyes, "Yeah, so just like dem!"

Bella laughed to herself as she thought about how she loved spending time with all four of the children. Emma was a little cutie, whereas Chelsea was a good mix of both Alice and Jasper and Jed was Bella's little rock. He was fiercely protective of his family, and he would do anything to ensure their safety and happiness.

Bella loved how patient he was with Brady. He seldom lost his temper or said an unkind word and was always around when Bella needed help.

After another quick 'pit stop' so that she could go to the bathroom and stretch, Bella finally arrived in Hope Springs around four in the afternoon.

It was almost dark already and Bella smiled as she saw how the main street was lit up with lights in shop windows, Christmas displays on the sidewalks and colored lights that were strung along each side of the road.

Several people waived and called to Bella and she could feel her heart fill with emotion at the feeling of rightness that she got.

She was welcomed as if she was a daughter of the town and not some stray that Billy had picked up along the road.

Bella shook her head and decided to head home. She parked her car on one side of the four car garage and she only pulled her small bag with her laptop and her most prized possessions in it from the car. She was suddenly so tired as she dragged herself up the stairs and unlocked her door.

Bella dropped everything to the floor as she made her way over to the sofa. When she sat down, she pulled her jacket, hat, scarf, and gloves off before she kicked off her shoes. She dropped everything onto the coffee table and lay back against the sinfully comfortable cushions.

She was asleep within seconds.

Bella woke up because she was stiff. She stretched and slowly opened her eyes. It was dark and quiet. Bella sat up and stretched again before she leaned over and flicked on her light before she got up and walked over to where she had dropped her purse and her bag and she pulled out her cell phone.

Thankfully she had the presence of mind to text Esme when she parked downstairs to tell her that she was home, but that she was going to sleep.

Bella switched on the garage light and she quickly unpacked the rest of her bags. Once she was upstairs again, she unpacked everything before she started a load of washing and took a shower after which she felt ten times better.

Bella dressed in a pair of sleep pants and her 'Edward shirt' and after she had pulled on a pair of socks, she realized that she was starving.

Esme had of course made sure that Bella's apartment was stocked with plenty of fresh ingredients as well as a couple of completed diners because she knew that Bella was going to be hungry when she finally woke up.

Bella grinned when she saw the large helping of lasagna in the fridge as well as a large slice of apple pie and fresh cream.

She hummed to herself as she heated everything up. She set the small round table in the bay window with the crockery from the cupboard. She loved the ice-cream colored plates and bowls that Alice and Jasper had given her as a 'house warming gift'. It went with the similarly colored glasses that she had received from Rosalie and Emmett.

She sat at the table and stared down the dark, tree-lined drive towards the road. As her eyes found the red shed in the darkness, she thought about the last night that she had spent there, the night that she had lost her baby.

Without a second thought, Bella's hand found her stomach and she rubbed it gently. The sharp, gut-wrenching pain had subsided a little, leaving just moments of sadness. The previous week Bella had walked past a woman who was pregnant and buying wool to knit a blanket. The clerk was smiling at her as she rubbed her swollen belly and suddenly Bella had to get outside, where she had stood trembling and crying as she dialed Rosalie's number with shaking fingers. All of the Cullen women had been a godsend and Bella had adopted Esme as her mother almost immediately. She loved the way that Alice treated her as if she was just another sister, like Bree. But Rosalie had been her life-saver after she had lost the baby. Rose would sit for hours, just holding her, and letting her cry out her grief, guilt, and pain, without saying a word.

All of the Cullen's had rallied around Bella supporting, and protecting her just as Carlisle had promised Edward that they would. Carlisle and Esme found Bella easy to love and care for. They knew that if she and Edward were to go their separate ways, their home would always be a home for Bella and they told her that on more than one occasion.

Jasper had told her that grief would take time. He assured her that she had a right to morn and that her baby was worthy of her tears. Those words had made her feel a little better. She felt comforted knowing that she didn't have to act as if her unplanned pregnancy was some dirty little secret.

But those incidents were not as frequent as before and Bella knew that she was truly on the mend. She didn't feel guilty that she was going to school, and she knew that it was because of her drive to make a better life for herself and any other children that she may have one day that was pushing her along.

Bella looked at the art deco clock on the wall and saw that it was a little before five in the morning.

She made up her mind and dressed quickly in thermal underwear, thick jeans, a long sleeved thermal top as well as a thick Argyle jersey that Esme had sent her and another thick padded jacket. She pulled on mittens, a thick scarf and a beanie before she put on her lined boots and she quickly ran downstairs and over to the back door of the main house.

Bella took her boots off and she left them in the mud-room before she made her way into the kitchen.

"Morning, May-May." She said as she walked up behind the woman at the kettle.

Esme turned around with a bright smile, "Bella, Darling! Welcome home!" She said as she opened her arms and Bella almost ran into the warm embrace.

Bella pulled back and smiled at the woman was only an inch or so taller than her, "I thought that I would join you this morning. I've not seen much of the place covered in snow." Bella said as she poured herself a mug of coffee and sat at the counter.

Esme sat down across from her and smiled, "Well, I really welcome the company, but there's not much going on at this time of year. The busy time is before we put most of the fields 'to bed' for the winter. We really only have the last of the cranberries and then the winter squash. Otherwise everything else has been picked and sold, put into storage or sent for bottling, canning, freezing or juicing."

Bella felt a little disappointed and Esme smiled at her, "Of course we can still take a drive before we meet with everyone for coffee over at the canteen. We can check that the trees are still 'bedded down and snug' and that the tree blankets are holding."

Bella chuckled. The first time that she had heard someone talk about wrapping a 'tree blanket' around the tree; she had rolled her eyes and smiled indulgently. After hearing about it for a couple of days, she had woken up one morning to find that the trees in the orchard had indeed been wrapped in 'blankets' that were made of a synthetic substance that protected the roots and the bottom of the trees from the famous Vermont frost and snow. In this way, trees were not destroyed by harsh frost and snow, but still followed their natural path of becoming dormant and 'resting' through the winter.

Bella had realized that although her family was busy with their own interests and careers, the running of the farm came first and when a call went up for late season harvesting, or early frost forecast; Jasper, Emmett and usually their families turned up, ready to work. Even Brady and Emma pitched in and showed Bella how to 'bed the trees' and ready the fields for the coming winter. Bella had loved all of the activity around the orchard over the fall and she had missed Edward even more as she had hitched rides on the back of the tractor and trailer with the children as they had bumped along the roads, laughing as they got jostled and fell into each other.

Bella and Esme finished their coffee and Bella picked up a croissant from the covered dish on the counter.

They quickly put their outer clothes on before they headed out to the truck.

Esme wasted no time in warming up the engine and the inside of the cab before she pulled out onto the dirt road.

"It's so good to have you home, Sweetheart. Were finals brutal?"

Bella spent the next few minutes telling Esme about her term papers and final tests while they stopped in an apple orchard and then they made a stop at the barn and Esme smiled when Bella got out and walked to the door of the barn.

She was still weary around most animals but at least she didn't shake in fear if she was anywhere near them.

After that they met up with Paul, Jared, Collin and Brady while Bella caught up with Rachael.

It was just after seven when Esme and Bella made their way into Esme's warm kitchen.

Carlisle was pouring himself a mug of coffee, when he heard the footfalls on the wooden floor. He looked up expectantly and smiled when he saw Esme and Bella behind her.

"Morning Darling, Hello Bells! How are you?"

Bella smiled as she waited her turn to receive a hug and a kiss to the top of her head from Carlisle. She closed her eyes as she breathed in the familiar smell of citrus and honey with just a hint of spices. Carlisle pulled back and frowned at her, "You have huge black rings under your eyes, young lady!"

Bella disentangled herself and winked at Esme as she took a mug of coffee from her, "Is that your official diagnosis Doc?"

Before Carlisle could answer her, they heard a loud bang and then nails on the wooden floors, followed by another bang before Roscoe raced into the room.

Bella put her mug down quickly before she grinned and dropped to her knees as she opened her arms.

Roscoe stood in the doorway barking at her angrily for a few minutes before he walked slowly over to where Bella now sat on the floor.

They stared at each other for a while until Bella leaned forward and kissed his snout noisily, "Oh stop sulking you old bully! I told you that I had school and I also told you that I was coming home, so just get over it, Silly!"

Roscoe let out a low 'huff' before he climbed onto Bella's lap and began to nuzzle and lick her neck.

Esme scolded both of them for being under her feet and Bella crawled to the other side of the kitchen as she and Carlisle laughed at Roscoe's antics.

Esme began to make breakfast and Bella was about to get to her feet to go and wash up before she helped Esme, when she saw Roscoe go absolutely still.

She looked up at the doorway and gasped.

Bright green eyes stared at her hungrily.

"Edward!"

The spell was broken by Esme's squeal of excitement and Edward smiled crookedly at his mother, who was laughing and crying as she launched herself into his arms and he swung her around.

"Hello Ma." Bella felt tears flood her eyes at the sound of that sweet and sexy soft and husky drawl.

Her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt as if it was going to tear through her body at any time.

Roscoe gave a loud bark and he pushed himself against Edward, before growing impatient and he jumped up so that Edward let go of his mother only to pick up his fifty-six pound 'puppy'.

Bella was frozen to her spot on the floor. She couldn't move or speak. She just sat there and stared at Edward's handsome, tanned, beautiful face.

His light tan made his eyes an almost iridescent green that was positively hypnotic.

Another voice joined in the commotion and Bella saw Bree throw her arms around her brother.

Edward hugged her and kissed her but his eyes darted over to Bella repeatedly.

Bella shook her head to clear it and stood up. She turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen, and then out of the house without a word.

"Bella!"

She cringed when she heard his voice call her but she didn't stop. She stopped just long enough to jam her feet into her boots and she pulled her jacket off the hook as she opened the back door and raced across the yard to the sanctuary of her apartment.

She stumbled up the stairs and opened her door, slamming it behind her as she leaned against it. She took great sobbing breaths to try and steady her breathing as she made her way to her bedroom.

She closed her eyes as the tears ran down her cheeks and the flood of emotions that she had held back for months came crashing over her. All the anger and resentment of Edward's leaving raced through her veins again. The feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and grief exploded as she cried and wailed into her pillow.

She knew that she was being overly dramatic, but he had hurt her! Even though they had never declared themselves more than friends, she had expected more from him and seeing him brought all of her old fears and insecurities back.

_This was why she didn't want to get involved with people – they made you open your heart and then they screwed you over!_

Bella lay across her bed as her tears and sobs subsided. She became aware of a gentle hand stroking her stomach. A warm body was pressed up against her back and the sweet smell of – 'Edward' surrounded her, Bella stiffened and began to pull away, but Edward held her firmly against him.

"It's going to be okay, love. Everything will be okay now." He crooned into her ear.

Bella pulled his arms tighter around her and held them over her torso.

"Sleep my Bella; I'm here now, sleep love." His lips caressed her ear before he pressed them against the side of her temple.

Bella nodded and held him even tighter as she allowed her eyes to close.

=====HS=====

Edward had spent three grueling days on the road. When he had driven out to California in August, he had ride through Nebraska, Colorado, and Utah, preferring to take a leisurely more scenic route. For his return journey he would have ridden straight through to cover just over three thousand miles but he knew that if tiredness didn't kill him, his parents would.

So he stopped in Amarillo, Oklahoma the first night, after having driving for almost eighteen hours. He slept late and after he had stopped at Pat's Diner in Joplin, he drove through to spend the night with Vinnie and Felix, Nessie's parents, at their motel in Akron, Ohio. The next morning he drove the rest of the way home and instead of driving straight to his parents home like he wanted to, he force himself to go to his house.

He parked his bike in the garage. He would take it to Jacob to have it serviced after Christmas; he thought as he pulled his bags off his bike and made his way into the house.

A lamp burned in the sitting room and he allowed himself to take a moment to relax and absorb the calmness that he always felt when he walked into his house.

The ground floor was spotless, and Edward hurried over to turn the thermostat up. He knew that his father had been swinging by regularly to check on his home.

His house looked as if he had just stepped out for a minute, instead of him being gone for four months. He turned on a couple of lights and put his bags into the laundry room. His fridge had been stocked with some staple basics and Edward set the coffee pot before he walked upstairs.

He stood in what he thought of as Bella's room. He could swear that he could smell her delicious fragrance of strawberries and vanilla cream, mixed with some other fruity shit that just ended up smelling like Bella, but the room felt empty without her.

He was stiff from riding for over ten hours and he walked across the hall to his bedroom.

He wasn't sure what to expect, because when he left his house in the early hours, his room had been a mess. Now it was immaculately clean and he knew that Bella had been in here. His bed had been made up with fresh linen. His closet that he had basically destroyed that morning had been packed neatly with all of his clothes neatly folded and hung.

His bathroom had also been cleaned, with an array of fluffy, clean towels over his towel racks.

Edward was suddenly tired and he checked his watch. It was already almost ten o'clock at night, so he decided to have a shower and go to bed and he would catch up with his parents in the morning.

After his shower, he sat on the side of his bed and called the Hales to tell them that he had arrived safely.

His eyes were already closing as he discarded the towel around his hips and crawled into his bed.

=====HS=====

The next morning, Edward woke up feeling a thousand times better. He showered and dressed in jeans and a thermal T-shirt before he pulled a long sleeved button down over it and he put on his boots.

He made up his bed and tidied the bathroom and made his way downstairs to drink a mug of coffee. He was craving one of his mother's famous breakfasts and when he saw that it was just gone seven thirty, he knew that his parents and Bree would be sitting down to eat shortly, so he pulled on his padded parka and went out to his car.

It started first time and Edward knew that he owed his father big-time.

Winter had settled into Hope Springs with a passion. It was a winter wonderland straight out of a Christmas card. Dorset Common was draped in white, with white fairy lights threaded through the avenue of trees, and strung around the lake, which was fenced off and kept pristine for skating parties and the entire area looked magical.

Edward wondered what Bella thought of it. He felt a pang that he had not been there for her first skating party and he wondered how she enjoyed it. He had a lot to make up for and he prayed that she would let him into her life.

He felt shitty that he had deserted her when she had needed him the most, but if he had stayed, Edward knew that he would have withdrawn from everyone, but that didn't make him feel any less of an asshole for dropping her so suddenly.

He turned into the large driveway and smiled when he saw the lights on the ground floor. As he drew closer, he felt a wave of emotion wash over him.

He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes quickly before he parked in front of the garage and he went into the mud-room to take off his boots.

He heard Roscoe's bark and laughter coming from the kitchen and he could not stop the low chuckle of anticipation escaping as he moved to the doorway of the kitchen.

Edward could never have anticipated the sight that met his eyes.

Bella was sitting on the floor; being smothered and sat upon by Roscoe as she tried to talk to him in between giggles and licks.

She looked amazing. Her hair had grown and was flowing down her back in soft nutty brown waves. Edward could see the shadows beneath her eyes and he knew that she must have just arrived home from college.

Roscoe looked up at him suddenly and Edward smiled at the way that his bottom began to wiggle. Several things happened at once. Bella looked up and gasped as her startled eyes met his and her mouth dropped open. His mother, turned from the stove and she squealed his name before she crashed into his arms.

Edward closed his eyes as his mother's unique scent surrounded him. The months and years fell away and suddenly Edward felt as if he was a child again. Esme's hugs were unique and for a small woman her arms were surprisingly strong. He felt her lips brush his cheek as her small hand cupped his jaw, "I have missed you son; we _all_ have." She whispered before he lowered her to her feet so that he could pick Roscoe up. The dog whimpered his discontent at being left behind and Edward held him tightly before he let him down. A blur of color crossed his line of vision just as he was about to move towards Bella and then Bree was hugging and kissing him, with her thin arms and legs wrapped around him.

"Hey Squirt, how have you been doing?" he asked as he looked down at his baby sister.

As she was about to respond, he caught a movement and when he looked up he saw the back of Bella as she disappeared into the mud-room.

"Bella!" he called out and he put Bree down, intent on following her. He heard the back door close and he moved Bree out of the way to go to Bella when he felt a restraining hand on his arm.

He swung around and met Carlisle's steady blue gaze, "Welcome home Son. Let her go for now."

The two men stared at each other for a while until Edward gave a frustrated sigh and nodded. Carlisle smiled and clamped a hand around Edward's neck, "Come and eat first." Was all he said!

Edward hardly ate anything and his eyes kept going to the window where he could just make out the corner of the garage apartment.

Esme looked over at Carlisle and she tilted her head towards the back door.

"Edward?"

"Huh?" Edward looked up from his plate of massacred bacon and eggs.

Carlisle shook his head and cocked an eyebrow, "Did it offend you somehow?" he teased.

Edward offered him a halfhearted smile, before his eyes lifted to the window again.

"Okay, go!" Carlisle said and Edward was out of his seat and across the room by the time that Carlisle called out to him, "Edward!"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"You hurt her badly, so go easy on her and you'd better know that I don't think she is going to go easy on you. Don't expect her to fall into your arms."

Edward nodded gravely, "I know."

Esme waved her hand and Edward was out of the room and seconds later the back door slammed.

Esme looked at Carlisle with a weepy smile, "Do you think that they will work it out?"

Carlisle pulled her closer to his side, "I think that you will do well to stay out of it and let them try to work it out." He said as he raised his eyebrows at his wife.

Esme opened her eyes wide and her mouth opened into a perfect 'o', "Who me? Whatever are you talking about?"

Carlisle groaned as he put his arms tightly around her waist, and hugged her close, "Esme Cullen, please do not interfere in our son's love life. He will not thank you and Bella will be mad if she feels that you are ganging up on her, okay?" he leaned forward and kissed Esme's lips tenderly before he pulled away.

Esme could see how serious he was and how concerned he was for both Edward and Bella.

Esme cupped his cheek, "Okay, I promise. Now, why are we up and dressed so early in the morning again?"

Carlisle grinned, "Nice try, Mrs. Cullen, but I have to go to work because my first appointment is at nine and I have some files to complete."

"Well, I will be happy when Ned arrives. Is he coming before or after Christmas day?" Esme asked as she followed Carlisle to the mud-room."

Doctor Ned Davis was a young doctor that had only just finished his residency that Edward and Carlisle used in case of work overload or if they both wanted to take a day off. Ned had been hanging around Carlisle's offices for years and he was keen to join their partnership.

Carlisle shrugged into his warm brown down padded jacket. Esme pulled his light blue scarf around his neck.

"Ned is coming on the 22nd and he will be leaving on the 2nd which means that Edward and I will have ten days off. Edward and Ned will share being on call."

Esme stood on tiptoe and kissed her husband, "I love you, now hurry back to me and take care on the roads."

When Esme walked inside she found that Roscoe was waiting next to the counter where the plates of half eaten food sat, "Okay, you are being very spoilt today, Roscoe, but that's because your mommy and daddy need to kiss and make up… Yes they do!" Esme chuckled at her silliness.

=====HS=====

Edward stood on the landing outside Bella's front door. He didn't hear any noise as he quietly opened the door.

And then he heard it.

The sounds of hurt and anguish as Bella cried into her pillows as she lay across her bed made him wince. Edward put his hand over his chest, where he felt a 'hurt' that had been there ever since he had left.

Edward stood in the door-way for a long time. He noticed that she looked thinner and more fragile somehow.

When it seemed that her tears had slowed down, Bella turned onto her side and turned her back to the door. Her breathing would catch every now and again and suddenly Edward could not stay away any longer. He knew that he was taking a huge risk and she could very well throw him out and never talk to him again, but he had to try!

He sat on the small ottoman and toed his shoes off before he pulled his outer layers off until he was just wearing his thermal top and his unbuttoned button down shirt that was pulled out of his jeans.

He climbed onto the bed behind Bella's tear racked frame. He gently stretched one arm underneath Bella and he pulled her against his chest, while he brushed her hair out of her red, wet face as he crooned into her ear.

He curled the arm that was under her body, around her stomach and he began to stroke her stomach as he whispered to her.

Bella's hands clutched at his hand and arm and she pulled his arms so that she was clutching both of them around her.

He could see how tired and swollen her eyes were and so he crooned to her to close her eyes and sleep.

Bella nodded but her hold on him didn't loosen at all.

Edward relaxed next to Bella. He could not help his rock-hard cock from aching like a horn dog, but he gallantly tried to keep his hips from grinding into her. Eventually he was able to settle down and he slept.

=====HS=====

The next thing he knew, a hard hand shoved at his shoulder and a voice spat out, "Get your fucking, lying hands off me!"

Edward groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. He tried to clear his sleep induced fog from his brain as he struggled to sit up.

He looked up to see Bella standing next to the bed with a furious look on her face and he made the mistake of smiling at her wild hair style. She looked like a very angry kitten and that added to the fact that he was still

Bella turned blood red, "What the FUCK are you grinning at? Are you happy that you almost made me have a nervous breakdown?" Bella screeched as she gestured wildly with her hands as she paced around the bed. Edward sat up and swung his feet off the bed. He stood up and walked over to where his boots and the rest of his clothes lay in a heap.

Edward looked around the room. He liked what they had done with it.

The walls were painted white and so were all of the furnishings, but Alice had brought in a very pretty sage green that was almost the same color as his guest bedroom. He wondered if it was a coincidence. He also liked the 'artwork' of old frame and shutters on the wall. He smiled when he looked at the window seat and he could see that this was where Bella spent a lot of her time.

A small pile of books sat on the floor next to the seat. Her laptop sat at her small desk with a printer next to it.

"… and that's why it's hard for me to forgive you, Edward. Edward? EDWARD!"

Edward felt his cheeks color with embarrassment as he was caught zoning out as he stared at Bella, "You look even more beautiful than I remember, Bella."

Bella raised her eyebrows and lifted her hands only to drop them to her sides in defeat, "You know what? What-the-fuck-ever! I don't give a damn! I've had it with trying to put myself out there and you don't even fucking listen to a goddamn thing that I have to say. Well here is something you should hear: GET. THE. FUCK. OUT. OF. MY. HOUSE."

Edward wondered if he had some sort of brain damage that prevented him from running down the stairs away from the avenging angel that dominated the room.

Bella's eyes were almost black with fury as she glared at him from across the room.

Edward could not help but smile at her magnificence.

That proved to be a big mistake.

He knew the moment that her fragile control snapped and Bella let out a low growl as she flung herself across the space between them like an angry tiger.

Edward caught her easily around the middle and he tried to keep certain parts of his anatomy out of harm's way, but a twist and a well aimed knee to his semi erect penis and balls, had Edward dropping to the carpet on his knees before he keeled over onto his side and he curled into a fetal position without a sound.

He lay on the floor whimpering softly as his body was ravaged by excruciating pain that seemed to radiate from his dick and balls outward so that even the tips of his ears were throbbing.

Bella gasped as she saw his face turn from tanned to bright red to a deathly pale. She was horrified at her behavior. _What the fuck was she thinking? This was Edward! Her Edward. She had spent the last four months longing for his return and what did she do? She tried to neuter him! I must be crazy, _she thought to herself as she hovered around Edward's writhing form, unsure of what to do. She was wringing her hands as she wondered what she should do, when Edward spoke.

"Water…" Edward managed to gasp out and Bella scrambled to her feet and grabbed a bottle of water from her fridge.

When she returned to the room, Edward was sitting up with his back against the wall, his legs raised and his arms were propped up on his knees. Although he was still pale, but he seemed to have made a recovery of sorts. At least he wasn't panting any longer, but he appeared to be breathing quietly.

Bella handed him the bottle and sprang back as if he was going to strike her. Edward frowned at her skittishness but didn't comment besides mumbling a 'thanks'.

He drank from the bottle before he put the lid on it and set it on the carpet beside him.

"I like what you have done with the apartment," he said into the strained silence.

Bella shrugged as she stood hovering by the doorway, "Your mom and sisters are amazing." She said.

Finally Edward sighed and got to his feet with a slight grimace.

Bella's eyes darted to his groin before they shot up to meet his somewhat rueful and amused gaze. She felt her cheeks turn bright red as she licked her lips, "Sorry… about um, that," she waved in the direction of his bruised and shriveled cock, that was now hiding in his boxers.

Edward nodded and shot her a quick smile, "Well, I guess, it's my fault. I did try to restrain you."

Bella jumped out of the way as Edward moved to the door. He sighed again, "Do you mind if I use the bathroom?"

She started to point out where it was before he stopped her with an eye roll and she nodded sharply, "Of course you know where it is, you lived here," she said.

Edward chuckled, "Yeah, and I helped to build it. I'll be right back."

He turned away and walked to the bathroom, while Bella stood rooted to the spot and she watched him close the bathroom door.

Once the door click closed, she walked into the great room and paced the space, wringing her hands and muttering to herself. "What the fuck, are you thinking? Obviously you aren't and now instead of trying to fix your friendship, he will probably take out a restraining order against you! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why can't I seem to do anything right?" she said as she turned around to pace again, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw Edward leaning on the door frame, with his arms folded over his chest and a mixture of contrition and amusement on his handsome face.

"I promise that I won't take out a restraining order on you if you promise not to literally try and bust my balls." He said.

"Okay." Bella's hand shot up to smack her forehead – she had lost her filter – and her mind, it seemed.

"Stop that." Edward commanded softly.

"Stop what?"

Edward inched forward until he was standing on the opposite side of the sofa.

"Stop berating yourself and for god's sake, stop smacking yourself! You are going to end up injured." He said softly as he reached up slowly and brushed her hair off her forehead before he rubbed the spot gently. He stepped away from her after a moment and they stared at each other.

There was so much to say, but neither knew where to begin.

Bella huffed. She nodded towards the sofa, "Would you like to sit down?"

Edward nodded, "Thanks."

Bella sat as far away from him as she could. A very uncomfortable silence fell and Bella shattered it a few minutes later when she jumped to her feet, startling both of them, "Something to drink!" she almost shouted.

"Um, would, would you like something to drink?" she asked in a quieter tone.

"No thanks, I'm fine." Edward said.

Bella sighed and sat down again, perching on the corner of the sofa as if she was ready to fly away at any moment.

Suddenly Edward turned to face her, "Look Bella, I didn't come here to fight with you. I don't want things to be like this," he motioned the space between them, "I know that I hurt you." Bella snorted and crossed her arms over her breasts. Edward's eyes flicked down to stare at her chest briefly before he looked back at her dark eyes "You have every right to be mad at me, but I wanted to tell you that I am so sorry that I hurt you. I was scared and I ran away like a coward. You were right to think that of me, but I am sorry, Bella and I want to make it up to you if you will let me. I know that I fucked up, okay? I won't make excuses, but you know that I did the right thing; you even admitted it to me! I may not have gone about it the right way, but I had to leave, Isabella… for both of us!"

While he had been talking, he had shifted closer to her until they were almost touching thighs.

Bella opened her mouth to argue with him. She wanted to deny everything that he said. She wanted to tell him that she didn't care if he was back or not, she just didn't give a fuck.

But she couldn't lie. Not to Edward. Not about this. Although they had never defined their relationship as anything more than a friendship, Bella knew in her heart that they were so much more.

Her eyes flicked down to Edward's jacket, scarf and gloves that he had left on her coffee table and she noticed that the sorry excuse for a scarf that she had knitted him for his birthday was on top of his parka.

She looked at him surprised, "You actually wear the scarf?"

Edward's eyes softened, "It's the best scarf I ever owned, but don't tell May-May."

They smiled at each other before Edward reached out for her hand. Bella slipped her fingers through his and they stared at their joined hands.

Bella's eyes filled with tears that she tried to blink away quickly. Edward made a noise of anxiety as his free hand darted out to catch a stray tear, "Please don't cry, Bella. I'm so sorry, love."

Her sad brown eyes searched his dark green ones, "I missed you so much, Edward. I needed you and you were gone! You are my best friend and you were just gone!"

Edward ground out a muffled curse as he quickly gathered Bella up and pulled her across his lap. Bella locked her arms around his neck as she pulled him close. Edward sighed as he buried his face into Bella's neck. Her scent flowed around him and he took long deep breaths, soaking in her smell and feel. Bella nuzzled her face against his soft hair.

_He's here! He's here! _ Her mind kept screaming and little by little the air around them changed from one of desperation and sadness to a feeling of awareness.

Bella shifted as she felt Edward's hard chest brush against her suddenly sensitive nipples. Bella's arms had loosened from around Edward's neck and now her fingers wove into the soft hair at the back of his neck. Bella smiled, his hair had grown longer, and it was even wilder than before. The Californian sun had bleached his dark coppery hair to a lighter blend of colors. Bella had noticed that there were even a few strands of blond amongst the other thirty shades of browns, coppers, and auburn.

Edward felt his still tender cock twitch as Bella's fingers combed through his hair, scratching his scalp light with her finger nails.

"Hmmmm, fuck that feels good." He murmured.

He heard Bella's breathing pick up and the feel of her warm, moist breath just above his ear was enough to make him want to grind his groin against her ass.

"Edward…" Bella moaned as she felt her eyes roll back into her head. She felt wet between her legs and tingly and …needy. Fuck! She felt so needy! She pressed her thighs together to try and sooth the ache but it didn't help. When she felt the hardness beneath her ass, she instinctively ground herself against it. Bella let her head drop backwards as Edward's hands tightened around her tiny waist. His fingers spread out as he pushed his hand up her side, until just the tip of his middle finger skimmed the bottom of her breast.

Bella arched her back, almost presenting her breasts to Edward. She was dying to feel something. She needed hardness, roughness.

Bella whimpered as she adjusted her body so that her nipple was right at his fingertips.

Instinctively Edward pressed his finger against the small pebble and Bella gasped.

"Please," Bella whispered.

Edward squeezed his eyes shut to try and block out the sight of Bella's beautiful face, flushed with desire and need.

"Please." Her soft plea was going to be the death of him. Edward could feel his self-control slipping away.

Edward's eyes were almost black, as they looked deep into Bella's large brown orbs. He knew that he could have her. He knew that she was begging him to take her, to put an end to her pain, her need. He knew that she wanted to surround herself with his smell, his touch. His hand closed firmly over her breast and he squeezed the soft flesh, watching her face closely.

Bella's eyes started to close but he shook his head sharply, "No. Look at me Isabella." His voice sounded foreign to his own ears. He sounded almost harsh, but by the way that Bella's eyes suddenly darkened, and the flush in her cheeks, she liked it.

"Bella," Edward knew that he was playing a dangerous game. He should stop, he needed to stop, and Bella needed him to stop. If they were ever going to have a shot at a lasting and real relationship, they had to go back to the beginning and throwing Bella onto the floor and fucking her was not going to help them to create a solid foundation.

"I want you, Edward. _Touch me_." Bella licked her lips and Edward groaned. Bella took the sound as encouragement and rubbed her bottom against Edward's jeans.

The next words out of Edward's mouth were like a bucket of cold water.

"No, Bella! No, we need to stop this. We can't do this, it's never going to work." Edward's hands had moved her before she knew what was happening and she found herself sitting alone on the sofa while he stood over her.

_Edward didn't want her. _

=====HS=====

**A/N: OH MY GOD, can these two be any more annoying? I think that Edward is going to have a little more work to do to get Bella to listen to his voice of reason this time.**

**Thank you all so much for the love and support that you have shown this story. I am so overwhelmed that you all love it so much!**

**Till next week,**

**Michele**


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

_****WARNING: TALK OF RAPE AND ABUSE!**(NOT GRAPHIC)**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 14 – **_

"_**Bella," Edward knew that he was playing a dangerous game. He should stop, he needed to stop, and Bella needed him to stop. If they were ever going to have a shot at a lasting and real relationship, they had to go back to the beginning and throwing Bella onto the floor and fucking her was not going to help them to create a solid foundation.**_

"_**I want you, Edward. Touch me." Bella licked her lips and Edward groaned. Bella took the sound as encouragement and rubbed her bottom against Edward's jeans.**_

_**The next words out of Edward's mouth were like a bucket of cold water.**_

"_**No, Bella! No, we need to stop this. We can't do this, it's never going to work." Edward's hands had moved her before she knew what was happening and she found herself sitting alone on the sofa while he stood over her.**_

_**Edward didn't want her. **_

**CHAPTER 15 – ONE STEP FORWARD…**

Edward watched as Bella came to the wrong conclusion and he knew that he had to do some very fast talking before they wound up in an even worse argument.

His hands shot up as she was about to open her mouth, "WAIT!"

Bella's eyes narrowed in warning.

Edward ignored her dirty look and continued talking, "Just wait. Before you explode at me for taking advantage of you, I need you to listen to me. Can you do that?" Bella nodded and she opened her mouth but Edward put a finger under her chin, "Can you listen to me without interrupting or arguing with me? Please, Bella?"

Bella gave him a short nod and sat back against the sofa cushions.

Edward sighed and sat down next to her, but this time he sat facing her so that their knees were touching before he leaned forward and took her hand in his.

Bella's eyes were trained on their hands.

"Please look at me."

Her eyes flew up to meet his.

"I wasn't saying that I didn't want us to have a relationship, Bella…" he began but Bella shook her head and opened her mouth.

Edward's eyebrows shot up. He waited for her to close her mouth again and he was amused and wildly turned on when he saw her push her bottom lip out in a pout.

He cleared his throat and began again, "Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that I don't want you Bella. You have felt just how much I do want to have a very physical relationship with you." His dark eyes held hers captive until she squirmed and blushed beneath his predatory gaze.

Edward smirked with satisfaction and nodded, "That's right, Isabella, I want you. I want to discover every part of you. Make no mistake, love, I want to unwrap every ounce of your body and discover what treasures you have hidden."

Bella wondered if it was possible to climax without touching yourself. As Edward's words weaved around her, Bella found herself panting as his words conjured up images of something that she had never experienced: _Lust. Desire. Want. Need._

Edward's eyes saw all of it. He watched as Bella's eyes became glassy and bright. The way her breathing picked up and the small pulse that beat in her throat like a humming bird.

_Fuck_.

He had to distance himself from her and so he shifted, pulling back slightly. He lifted a suddenly nervous hand to his hair and raked his fingers through it.

Bella frowned, "Then why did you stop? Earlier on," she clarified, "why did you stop?"

Edward shook his head, "Because I want more than a quick fuck, Bella. I want so much more than that with you." He said gently as he brushed her jaw with the back of his hand.

Bella was blushing and she didn't try to stop the grin from spreading, hearing Edward say 'fuck' like that was unbelievably sexy. "Yeah?"

Edward's heart ached at the uncertainty in her voice.

"Hey now, where is this insecurity coming from? I have never said that I wanted you just for that."

Bella frowned, "You've never said that you wanted me, either. You haven't even kissed me properly."

It was Edward's turn to feel uncertain, "I haven't, have I?"

"Nope." She said with a sigh.

Edward thought for a moment, "Well then, we have lots to look forward to, don't we?" he said with a grin.

Bella gaped at him, "What? Are you serious? You aren't even going to kiss me?"

Edward sat back and smiled as he shook his head, "Not now. For now we are going to work on our friendship. I have a lot of time to make up for and there are huge things going on in your life right now. I understand that and I'm so proud of you, and that is one of the reasons that we need to take this slow. Bella, I want to explore what we have," his long fingers make a motion between them, "inside the bedroom and out of it. I want to get to know you again, and I want you to know me. I'm tired of dancing around you and pretending that I only want to be your friend, but if that's what you want, then that's what I will be."

"I want you too." She said.

"I want to be so much more than that: your friend, your lover; your partner; your boyfriend. I want it all with you Bella Swan." He sat back and let go of her hand.

"Now, what about you? What do you want from us?" He asked.

Bella bit her lip and tried to look away, but Edward's eyes were drawing her in again, "I – I, fuck! You are home for one fucking day and I am tongue-tied around you!" Bella pushed up from the sofa and walked across the room; she walked over to the kettle and put some water in it before she turned it on. She looked up at the clock and noticed with shock that it was well into the afternoon already.

"Would you like something to eat and drink? I'm hungry." She said as she looked into the fridge and thanked Esme silently when she saw the large beef casserole and the apple pie in the fridge. It was just enough to feed both of them and if she added some rice, she was sure that it would fill Edward up.

"You don't have to do that," Bella jumped when Edward spoke from directly behind her and she swung around to face him, bracing her arms on the counter.

"Will you please stop fucking sneaking up on me?"

Edward stepped back and laughed, and Bella marveled at how handsome he was with his head thrown back. She loved to see him so carefree and happy.

"Sorry, Scaredy Cat." He chuckled.

The kettle boiled and Edward stepped forward, "I'm going to make a pot of tea and I would love something to eat." He said quietly.

Bella felt her heart stutter, "Good. We are having your mom's Irish Casserole with rice and then there's apple pie and double cream."

Edward's stomach rumbled and they both laughed.

Suddenly the tension and the angst of the last few hours were broken as they worked together in the kitchenette. Edward made a salad to go with the meal and then he set the small table in the front bay window, while Bella set the stew to heat up and made the rice.

They talked about their time apart as they bustled around the 'kitchen'. Bella commented on how cleverly the apartment had been planned and Edward agreed. He told her of how Emmett and Jasper had difficulty in moving in what had been a tiny galley style kitchen originally. So when Edward had first moved into the apartment, he had guttered the main room, and he had converted it into a loft style room with one long counter against the longest wall that became the 'kitchen' with enough counter and storage space. Instead of breaking the line of counter tops, he had put in two under counter refrigerators and one freezer. The shelf above the countertop served as display shelving as well as a place to hold cooking utensils stuck into a white vase. The lines were very modern and clean and the mix of old and new in the large room blended well together. The high pressed ceilings and the odd oak wood paneling on the inside of the bay window conjured up warmth and comfort.

Bella told Edward about her crazy months after he left – her doing her GED; applying and being admitted to college; finding her feet and catching up with everyone else. She voiced her concern at been so closely scrutinized by the faculty for any sign that she wasn't coping or that she was slacking off and then she proudly told him of her grades thus far.

Edward hugged her and kissed her forehead, not unlike Emmett or Carlisle would have done, but this time, Bella found comfort in the affectionate gesture.

Once their meal was ready, Bella served their food in warm bowls, after which she put the apple pie in the oven.

Bella turned to find that Edward had set the table and he had found a bottle of wine in the wine rack. Bella had noticed when she moved in that the wine rack at the end of the long kitchen counter was filled with an assortment of red and white wines, but she hadn't tried any yet. She didn't drink normally and she would never have opened a bottle to drink alone.

He asked if she would like a glass of wine and he poured them each a glass full as Bella set their dinner on the table.

It was already dark outside even though it was barely five o'clock.

They sat down and immediately began to eat. Both of them realized how hungry they were and they ate in a comfortable silence that was only broken by 'pass the salt' and 'more salad?'

When they were finished eating, Edward stood up and he picked up their plates and carried them over to the sink. Bella sat at the table and sipped her wine.

Edward loaded the small six-piece dishwasher that he had installed and turned around to face Bella. She looked so beautiful in the warm glow of the lights. Her hair shone down her back and Edward's fingers itched to rub the strands between his fingers.

Edward had turned off the overhead lights earlier and they had turned on the small table lamp and the one floor lamp.

Bella looked up at him and Edward recognized the look of desire and awareness in her eyes.

"Are you ready to answer my question now, love?" he asked as he walked back to the table and sat down.

Bella bit her bottom lip and gave him a quick nod.

"I know that you think I'm too young, but honestly Edward, I don't think that I've ever been young. After speaking to Pastor Craig and Betty, I finally agreed to go to that support group with Rosalie and I must say it helped me. It also helps because Betty knows firsthand what it feels like to lose a baby and I didn't find any judgment, only acceptance, you know?" Edward nodded, "It's a safe place and you were right again of course, Betty and Craig are really nice people, and they haven't even pressured me into coming to their church." She rolled her eyes for good measure and Edward chuckled.

"Anyway, you know that I've also been seeing Jasper and he has been amazing. I've realized that I was always a little 'out of step' with everyone else." Bella began quietly. She looked at her fingers that were tracing imaginary patterns on the table. With a deep breath she looked up at Edward, "I know that I was abused, Edward. At first when Kebi said that to me in the hospital, I didn't want to believe her. I loved my baby that was growing inside of me and I could not believe that he or she was a product of rape."

Bella brushed a stray tear from her eyes and took a sip of her wine before she looked up at Edward again. This time he shifted his seat a little closer to her and put his hand on the table facing upwards.

His unspoken message was loud and clear:_ I'm here for you to hold on to, if you need me._

Bella looked down at his hand and she shifted closer to his seat and slipped her hand into his outstretched one.

Edward's mouth curved in a heart-stopping crooked smile as his fingers closed around her small hand. He lifted their hands to his mouth and pressed a tender kiss onto the back of her hand.

In barely more than a whisper, Bella began to speak again as she stared at the coppery head bent over her hand, "I have never felt anything s-s-sexual for anyone until I met you, Edward." Bella stammered.

Edward's heart was beating so fast he thought that it was going to give in. He wanted to shout from the rooftop, but he forced himself not to lift his head, lest he scared her off. He was ecstatic that Bella was finally opening up to him and he was determined not to ruin the moment.

"I have never k-kissed anyone. I've never even touched myself down there before. I never wanted to, but when you are near me, it's all I can think about, sometimes. You dazzle me! It's like there is an ache deep inside, down there and only you can sooth it… I want you to take that ache away, Edward. You make me feel things that are dark and almost dangerous. It's as if I don't really know myself anymore." Edward's thick eyelashes flickered as he chanced a glance at his beloved Bella's face.

Her bottom lip was swollen and ruby red from all of the nibbling that Bella had done. Her cheeks had two high spots of color. Edward wasn't sure if it was from the wine or the topic, but it made Bella's cheekbones more defined and delicate. Bella was staring at their joined hands and Edward gave in to temptation and reached across to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Bella jumped at the contact as his fingers trailed across her skin.

Her eyes were large pools of chocolate in the warm light. "You see? That's what I'm talking about. How am I supposed to be your friend when all I can think about sometimes is you touching me?" She said in frustration.

Edward sat up just as the oven timer when off. Bella stood up quickly and took the apple pie out of the oven. She set it on the stove top to cool off for a few minutes.

Instead of going back to the table she stood with her back against the counter staring at Edward in wonder and impatience.

"I want you. I told you that earlier. I want to share everything with you. I want to be your best friend and your playmate. I like the way your mind works. I find you interesting and funny, even when you are being a little stuck up and stuffy sometimes, but there is something hidden, something wild about you." Edward pouted playfully and Bella laughed.

Her eyes darkened as she went on, "I'm not Shakespeare Edward; so I'll just say what I'm thinking. I want you to fuck me – any which way. When I ache down _there_, I want you to press me into the floor and take me hard. Sometimes, when I'm sleepy and I think of you, I want it slow and drawn out. I want to kiss you all over. I want to know what your cock looks like, because it feels great." Bella had shed her shyness and this time it was Edward who was gaping and gasping as Bella smirked at him.

"I have only had sex three times. The first time Tyler made me bleed because I was so dry. The second and third times he used lube from the clinic and he was angry and drunk. But _I want to have sex with you_. I want to feel you inside of me. I know that it's different if the woman is aroused, you know, not so sore, and I promise that I will try and make it good for you as well, but…" Bella took a breath, because she hadn't paused once in her tirade.

Edward used the opportunity to stand up quickly and he moved to stand in front of Bella and put his hand firmly across her mouth.

"_Stop. Please, sweet baby Jesus, Bella!_ Stop talking or you are going to have me cuming in my pants like a fucking twelve year old!" He growled, half in frustration.

He felt Bella's lips curve upwards in a smile and he narrowed his eyes at her and growled again, "You think that this is funny, Scardy? Hmm? You think it's funny to taunt me when you tell me that you imagine what it will feel like to have me push my cock deep inside that pretty pussy of yours?"

Bella gasped behind his hand and Edward chuckled with malicious satisfaction. If he wasn't getting any sleep then neither was she!

"Oh I know that your wet, fuck-awesome pussy is pretty, love. You see, you are so gorgeous that it couldn't be anything else. I'll bet that your little pussy is hot and wet and sweet tasting, and Bella," Edward's head dropped so that his mouth was next to her ear, "I can't wait to taste you, sweet girl." He felt her body stiffen as a loud groan escaped her muffled mouth.

Edward pushed his body against hers so that their chests were brushing up against each other.

"Hmm, your nipples feel so hard and needy, baby. I bet you want me to suck on them, hmm? Are they aching for a little relief?" He chuckled darkly as he deliberately brushed his chest against her pebbled nipples before he stepped backwards, just as Bella tried to stamp her bare foot on top of his and her teeth snapped at his palm.

"That is so unfair, Edward! You are a fucking tease!" Bella glared at him before she swung around and cut two chunks of apple pie and she scooped large dollops of cream on top of each. She picked up her bowl and with another glare in Edward's direction, she sat down in the only arm chair in the room.

Edward sprawled across the sofa with a shit-eating grin and his bowl of pie. He could not resist humming around his spoon appreciatively.

Bella glared at him before she decided that 'turn about was fair play!' She knew that she would need to plot her revenge very carefully, so that Edward would suffer for the longest time.

Edward saw the tiny smirk that Bella gave him as she finished eating her pie.

"What is going on in that fascinating mind of yours, Isabella?" He asked as she put her bowl into the dishwasher and she wrapped the remainder of the pie up for Edward to take with him.

Bella wiggled her eyebrows at him, "That, my dear friend is for me to know and you to find out! You need to take the rest of this pie home with you. I'm sure that you don't have a lot of food at home." Bella said.

Edward smiled, "Thanks, although we all bunk over at mom and dad's place over Christmas Eve and Christmas day. It's quite festive – the kids all sleep in the playroom and we are all in our old rooms and then it's chaos on Christmas morning and mom can feed an army on the amount of food that she hands out over Christmas."

Bella smiled, "That sounds – different from what I've had. Okay, not the sleeping five or so to a room, but the rest of it sounds, good." She said before she stifled a yawn and quickly covered her mouth.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she mumbled.

Edward stood up and stretched, "No, it's okay, we could both use some more sleep." Without waiting for an answer, Edward quickly used the bathroom and fetched his boots from the bedroom before he returned to the sitting room and picked up his jacket and scarf.

Bella couldn't resist standing in front of him as he bent down and she wound the scarf around his neck. She patted his hard chest and he stood up.

Bella licked her lips, "You've gotten harder." Edward let out a bark of laughter and Bella turned scarlet.

"What I meant was, your body has become more muscular… fuck… that doesn't sound any better, does it?" She muttered as Edward sniggered and shook his head.

"Not really, but I know what you mean. I worked out a lot at Living Hope. It's part of the program, you know, working out every day. So I was running every day, lifting weights and playing a lot of basketball. The kids seemed to enjoy it."

Edward had told Bella all about the various people that were involved at Living Hope as well as the kids that he had come into contact with.

Bella smoothed his jacket over his chest, "I'm sure that they loved having you for company. I hope that I get to meet everyone sometime." She said.

Edward smiled, "Well Brandon and Megan will be here for Easter and then, I was going to ask you if you'd like to go with me to Living Hope, maybe over the summer?"

Bella scrunched up her nose, "Well, I will probably have to do summer school for extra credits, but it probably won't be for the entire summer, so why don't we see how things are closer to the time?"

Edward smiled and put his arms around her waist and pulled her up to him, "Sleep tight, love. I will see you tomorrow."

Bella sighed when Edward leaned down and kissed her cheek gently.

"Night Edward."

As he loped down the stairs Bella called his name again, "Edward?"

He stopped, turned and Bella's heart gave a jolt at his breathtaking good looks that bordered on beauty, "Yeah?"

"Are you ever going to kiss me properly?"

Edward's mouth curved in a crooked smile and her skin burned as his eyes flicked up the length of her, "Someday."

Bella bit her lip, "Soon?"

Edward chuckled, "Hang some mistletoe, Isabella and we will see what happens…" He said as he turned around and ran down the rest of the stairs, leaving Bella shaky and breathless.

Bella closed and locked her front door and then she hurried to the bay window so that she could watch him drive away.

Once he was gone, she picked up one of the cushions from the sofa and she danced around the room as she hugged the cushion.

"Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Edward Cullen _likes_ me!" She squealed and giggled as she collapsed onto the sofa, sounding like a teenager for the first time.

She wished that she had a friend of her own that she could call. Brianna was out of the question; Esme was his mother for god's sake!

Alice or Rosalie? Hmmm…

Bella walked into her bedroom and reached for her phone and hit Alice's cell number.

"_**The caller you are trying to reach is not …." **_

_Shit!_

Before she could lose her nerve, Bella dialed Rose's number, _**"Hey Bells, what's up?"**_

Bella rolled onto her back and stared up at her bedroom ceiling, _**"Rose? Um, Edward's home…"**_

"_**He is?"**_

"_**Yeah, and um, we got into a fight and then we kind of made up and well…"**_Bella began nervously, but Rosalie interrupted her.

"_**Really? Tell me everything – wait hold on – Honey?... I'm taking a bath okay?... Can you bring me a glass of wine?..."**_ There was the sound of water splashing and Bella giggled at the thought of Rosalie sitting in her tub talking on the phone, _**"Right now, tell me everything!"**_

An hour later Bella disconnected the call and stood up. She knew that Rosalie was the right person to call – Bella had a plan.

Bella turned out the lights and got ready for bed. That night she lay in her bed, staring into the dark, thinking about the day.

She would never have thought that the day would have turned out so differently. She couldn't believe that Edward was home and that he had told her that he wanted a relationship with her. She was afraid of being hurt by him, and she had no idea what a real relationship even looked like, but she knew one thing for sure: She wanted whatever she could have with Edward. She was sure that he was worth the risk.

Bella wondered if it was possible for her to have everything that she had never dared to dream of before.

=====HS=====

Esme stood at her bedroom window and watched the dim glow of Edward's truck as it drove down the long driveway.

She let the curtains drop back into place but not before she noticed Bella dancing around her room before she disappeared from sight.

Esme sighed as two warm hands slipped around her slim satin covered waist, to slide down and grasp her hips, "Come on, Darling, let's go to bed." Carlisle said in a low voice that rumbled through his chest and still made Esme weak in the knees.

Esme huffed as she turned in her husband's arms and slipped her small hands around the waistband of his jeans that were open at the snap and riding low on his hips. He had taken his shirt off and Esme slid her hands up his chest, her fingers caressed the black and grey tattoo of the lion and the word CULLEN on his pec and she took a shaky breath.

It was amazing to her that after all the years together, their passion had never waned.

Esme tilted her head up until she was staring into his cornflower blue eyes, "If your son has inherited any of your traits, that girl is in a lot of trouble."

Carlisle smirked and dipped his head to press his lips against hers, "Damn May, you are so sexy and beautiful, you just bring out the 'bad boy' in me!"

Esme giggled and then shrieked as Carlisle swung her satin clad figure up into his arms as he made his way across the room, to lower her onto the bed, where she bounced gently.

Her giggles became gasps as his hands found the bottom of her very sexy, but simple burgundy plunging gown, "Get this off, or lose it!" Carlisle growled at her as his eyes grew dark.

"B-but we just bought it in New York! You wouldn't!" Esme gasped as she moved slightly away from his half crouching form.

Carlisle tut-tutted and shook his head as his hand snaked around her ankle, "Three… two… one..."

"OKAY! OKAY!" Esme half shouted before she threw her gown across the room.

On the other side of the house, Bree turned the volume on her iPod up as she turned the page in her book and shook her head with a wry grin, her parents made no secret of the fact that they loved each other fiercely and that they still made out like rabbits.

Many years before Esme and Carlisle had their master bedroom suite soundproofed and it muffled most of the sound, except the very loud shouting that Esme sometimes did, although it was only heard as a faint and muffled noise.

Even though she acted as if she was grossed out by their activities, secretly Brianna loved the fact that they were so wrapped up in each other and she wondered if she and Riley would ever have that kind of love and passion or if she would find that with anyone.

She hoped so.

=====HS=====

Edward was woken up the next morning with knocking on his front door. He growled as he pulled on a long sleeved top and made his way downstairs.

_What the fuck? He was home for one day and the crazies came calling! _

"… if this is Randall with one of his hair brained schemes, I swear, I'll…" Edward was still mumbling to himself as he opened the door and was attacked by Roscoe who danced around him before he put his front paws onto Edward's chest and jumped into his arms.

"Hello boy!" Edward turned and walked into the sitting room. He sat on the sofa and let his dog lick and whimper and finally bark at him in disapproval for deserting him in the first place.

Finally Edward stood up and he quickly filled Roscoe's bowls, who was now prepared to forgive him as long as he was fed.

Once he had started some coffee he turned to greet his mother.

"Hey mom… um, what are you doing here so early?" he asked as he scratched his head.

Esme nodded and waved at him, "Go and shower and shave. I will start some breakfast for us."

Edward frowned, his mother didn't look too pleased and she hadn't asked him a question.

"Yes, ma'am." He said with a mock salute that earned him another glare.

Edward showered and shaved in record time. He began to feel a little nervous as he wondered why Esme was downstairs at seven o'clock on a Saturday morning.

He dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a T-shirt and a plaid button-down over it and made his way downstairs.

Esme was standing at the stove, dishing up a plate of French toast and bacon. The island was set with two places and Edward made his way over to the steaming coffee mugs as he took a seat.

Esme brought the plates to the island and sat down next to Edward.

She picked up her knife and fork and began to eat, while Edward just sipped his coffee and stared at his mother with raised eyebrows.

Esme glanced up at him, and pointed at his plate, "Eat" was all she said.

Edward began to eat, and although he was hungry, he had to force the food down because his nerves had completely taken over in the tense silence.

Finally he couldn't stand it any longer and he slammed his fork down with more force than intended, "Okay Mom, you've had your fun scaring the shit out of me, so just say what you came to say and be done with it!"

Esme didn't reply but instead she got up and carried their plates to the sink before she refilled their coffee mugs.

Edward stood up and leaned against the counter with outward bravado, while inwardly he felt sick.

_What the fuck was going on?_

Esme stared at her son. She loved all of her children more than her own life and she would gladly die for one of them. Edward had always been different – special.

_As a child he was more intense and introspective than his rambunctious brothers. While they had almost turned her hair grey as little boys do; Edward was more of a thinker. Instead of jumping off the garage roof like Emmett, Edward had asked Carlisle if it was possible to fly. Instead of fighting with the other boys at elementary school, like Jasper, Edward had asked if there wasn't another way to resolve disputes. He was more of a lover than a fighter._

_But Edward had a wild side as well. He got into the usual trouble as a teenager, and he had always been popular with the girls and knew that he could use his good looks to his advantage until eventually, Esme had threatened to have his window nailed shut after she found yet another young woman languishing in her sixteen year old son's bed._

_Esme had left it up to Carlisle to lecture his son on how a young woman ought to be treated, except that Carlisle was too busy admireing Edward's prowess in the art of seduction to realize that Edward had become selfish._

_It was that teenage selfishness and arrogance that had gotten Edward into trouble in university. Like most young people, Edward had thought himself to be invincible and untouchable. His perfect 4.0 average did nothing to dispel the myth and his popularity with teachers and students alike was a disaster waiting to happen. The 'fast crowd' had noticed him and he was just wild enough to take a dare to try ecstasy at an end of semester party._

_From there it had been a one-way road to his own personal hell. By the time that Jenna overdosed, Edward was coming to the realization that he was pissing his life away and that particular night, he had refused to go to some sleazy dope party with Jenna._

_Instead he had walked to the library, where he had sat thinking for hours about how he was going to go home, begging his family to take him back._

_When he had made it back to the apartment, Jenna was laying in her own vomit and blood on the bathroom floor…_

Esme had been heartbroken and devastated at how broken Edward had seemed when he eventually came home from rehab.

Gone was the wide-eyed, wild child and mischievous and cocky, self assured teenager and in his place was a sad and stoic twenty something year old who seemed so much older than his years.

Esme had been horrified that Edward had been in a purely sexual relationship with a young woman and she had blamed herself for months. Carlisle had never given his sons any reason to believe that women were to be treated with the utmost respect and consideration.

Esme believed in tough love and she loved Bella. She knew that Bella and Edward shared a special bond and she was happy about it, but she was not about to allow Edward to treat Bella like anything less than a 'lady'.

Esme sighed and moved to sit down on the sofa.

"Come and sit down with me." She said her tone softer.

Edward sat down, "What's wrong Mom? Is it Bella?"

"In a way. Look, I'm just going to have my say and then you can talk."

"Okay?" Edward was more than a little anxious.

"Edward, when you left Bella, when you left all of us, you have no idea the shit-storm that you left behind! That girl was devastated by your desertion…" she held up her hand, "I don't care what you have to say right now – that is what it was – you deserted her and you left us to pick up the pieces! Bella is remarkable and she had proved this time and again by rising to the challenges that she has set for herself. She scraped herself off the floor and got her GED, she got her drivers license; she decided to go to college and she put herself under enormous pressure by starting almost half a semester after everyone else. You have no idea how lonely she has been! Other than us and a couple of the women in town, Bella doesn't socialize with anyone. She hasn't made her own friends or gone to parties or socials in all the time that she's been at JSC. All she does is work. When she's home, she works in the shops and then she works on her schoolwork. If it wasn't for Alice and Rosie forcing her to go out, or Makenna, Jessica or Angela taking her for lunch or a cup of coffee, the girl would sit home all the time! All she does is work, run with Roscoe and work some more." Esme stopped talking as she searched Edward's face.

"I know that you like her, you may even love her, but I think that you need to back off and let her be."

Edward shook his head, "What? No! I am not letting her go! You can't ask me to do this, Mom, Bella and I are adults and we want to be with each other!" he had jumped up and was pacing back and forth, tugging on his hair with both hands.

"Edward, just listen to me, please!"

Edward swung around and glared at her, "This is what you came to say to me? Do you think that it was easy to stay away from her for four months? Do you honestly think that I didn't want to come home? Of course I did! But I couldn't do that, don't you see, Mom? _I had to let Bella find her own feet_. She has always been so independent and she had to realize that she could spread her wings without me. I didn't want to smother her, but that didn't mean that I didn't want her! Bella and I have to work it out. We spoke about it yesterday and we are going to move slowly. We are going to work on our friendship but Bella knows what my intentions are and I know that she feels the same way, so please don't interfere."

Esme and Edward stood toe to toe as they glared at each other. Edward had not only inherited his mother's eye and hair color, he had also inherited her stubbornness and Irish temper.

Esme tapped her foot and glared up at him, "Don't act so damn sanctimonious Edward! And do not tell me not to interfere! I am your mother and if you are not going to treat Bella properly, with the respect that she deserves, then you can bet your ass that I will interfere!" She punctuated ever other word by poking Edward in his chest until he moved away and rubbed the spot that was tender.

"Ow, Mom! Calm down, will ya? Now is there anything else? Because I've got things to do this morning." He said.

Esme huffed, "No, there isn't anything else, for now, but I'm warning you, Edward Cullen, if…"

Edward wrapped his arm around Esme's waist and he picked up her purse as he guided her to the front door. Without giving her a chance, he quickly pushed her arms into her parka, handed her purse to her and opened the door before he kissed her forehead and gently pushed her outside.

"…I don't care what… hey! Wait a minute, what are you doing? Edward! This is so rude!" Esme began to protest when she realized that she was on the front porch and the door was closing.

"Bye, Mom! Love you!" he said as he closed the door and locked it. He stood leaning against the door chuckling to himself as he listened to Esme muttering to herself as she made her way to her car.

"That boy… just wait until I tell his father… impudent little…" her voice grew fainter and Edward shook his head as he pushed away from the door and headed into the kitchen.

Roscoe lay on his cushion with his head on his paws and he let out a happy sigh. Everything was right in his world again. His master/human pet was home once more and although he missed his girl-human, he loved the scent and feel of his home. The house was familiar and safe. He just wished that his master and his girl-human would stay in the same place!

He got up and moved to the back door. He needed to relieve himself and he had to go outside into the dreaded wet, white stuff. He hated his feet getting wet and cold! Seriously, he was not made to live in these 'sub-human' conditions!

Edward turned at Roscoe's whimper and he shook his head, "Oh sorry, boy! I need to get into the yard and clear a spot for you, don't I? Okay, let me get my gear on and then we will make your yard fit for your presence."

An hour later Edward was sweating, wet, tired and grumpy as he finished shoveling and blowing the last bit of snow from the makeshift 'run' that he had created.

Roscoe glared at him in fresh reproach as he stepped off the clean back porch and onto the frozen, but snow free ground.

Each year, before the first snowfalls, Edward erected a covered 'run' for Roscoe in the back yard. He knew that he spoilt him rotten, but he had discovered that Roscoe hated the snow and he would only 'do his business' if the ground was visible, and so Edward had ordered a custom-made 'snow-proof' run for him. The run was constructed from chicken mesh wire, with low 'walls' of clear Perspex to keep the snow out, but didn't stop the light from coming in. The roof was made from corrugated siding. It was normally a quick thing to put up, but the ground was frozen, the yard was full of snow and instead of having his brothers to help him, he was alone.

"Fuck!" Edward pulled the beanie tighter onto his head, over his wet hair and glared at Roscoe, who was lounging on the back porch.

"Why can't you piss in the snow for once in your spoilt little life?" Edward ground out as he went about erecting the 'run'.

When he was finished, he dragged himself back inside to have a hot shower and to change into some dry clothes

After he was dressed, he phoned Jasper and Emmett and made arrangements to see them later that day before he went to meet Carlisle at their office.

Carlisle greeted him warmly, although he seemed amused by Edward's obvious 'dark' mood.

They decided to make their way across to the diner for an early lunch and Carlisle couldn't help but smirk as he watched Edward's eyes cut across the street to _**Best of Blue's**_ front windows.

"She's not there this morning, Son." Carlisle commented as he opened the door of the diner and a welcome warm burst of air greeted them.

"_What? Who?"_ Edward asked trying to sound innocent. The last thing that he wanted was more advice on how to treat Bella.

Carlisle snorted and shook his head free from snowflakes as he stamped his feet and unbuttoned his coat.

"You should stick to being a doctor, Edward. Your acting skills are laughable. '_Who? What?'_." Carlisle chuckled as he greeted Mike who was behind the till before he made his way across the room to a corner booth. Edward was greeted warmly and welcomed back and it was a good ten minutes before he sat down opposite his father.

Carlisle looked at Edward closely. He could see the obvious changes that being on the West Coast had brought about. He was leaner, more muscular. He was tanned and his hair was lighter, more of a bronze, than before, but there were other changes. Besides his bad mood, his entire persona was more relaxed and calm. His eyes were no longer stormy and troubled; instead they were bright with life and determination.

"You look good, Edward. Brandon says that you made great strides while you were there. In fact he was sorry to see you leave."

Edward wasn't concerned that Brandon and his father kept closely in touch with each other; it was all part of his 'accountability' regime. Total transparency was the only answer that worked when it came to drug recovery and as much as Edward sometimes resented it; he knew it was one of the tools that were effective in raising a red flag if the temptation to slip ever threatened to overwhelm him.

Edward smiled, "I know, but he knows that I love my life here and he is happy for any time that I can give to the center. Eli asked me to go back over summer for a couple of weeks, while he goes on holiday with his family."

Carlisle shrugged, "Well, we will have to see. I've made some decisions and they will affect you."

Just then Mike walked up to the table with the coffee pot and he poured to oversized mugs of coffee as he handed them a menu each.

Both men smiled before they ordered their 'usual'. Mike laughed, "I don't know why I bother to ask you Cullen men!"

Edward and Carlisle shared a grin before they became more serious.

"Have you finally set a date?" Edward asked with a smile.

Carlisle rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yep, your mother deserves a good long holiday and we need the time together, so, I am retiring on the first of May. I am taking your mother on a three month holiday in September, so I'm going to need you kids to step up to keep an eye on Brianna. She is even more of a handful now than when she was little, especially with that little shit Riley sniffing around…"

"_WHAT_? What is he doing around our Bree?" Edward growled and they earned a few looks from the other patrons.

"Everything okay here?" Mike asked as he brought their triple mushroom, egg, bacon and salsa burgers to the table, each accompanied by a basket of French fries and two large colas.

Carlisle nodded with a rueful laugh, "Yeah, I was just telling Edward about Bree's 'beau'."

Mike's face darkened, "I'm not letting Jane date until she is thirty-five!" he retorted.

Edward nodded in agreement as Carlisle laughed at them, "Good luck with that, man! I didn't give her my permission to do anything, they apparently 'found' each other over the summer bible camp and when I told her that it wasn't a good idea for her to date, she cried for a week, telling us that we were 'too old' to understand!"

Mike shook his head sorrowfully, "I need to talk to Jess tonight; I think that we should send her to that all girls school up in Montpelier!" He muttered to himself as he walked away to the counter.

Edward chuckled but stopped when he saw his father's face, "Oh come on Dad! Bree is a good girl and all we have to do is take Biers out back and let him know how things are going to be!"

Carlisle shook his head, "I already suggested that, but your mother is adamant that we give Bree some space!"

Edward leaned forward as he threw a couple of fries into his mouth. Digging in the snow was fucking hard work!

"Dad, seriously? What is wrong with Mom? She was banging down my door at the ass-crack of dawn this morning and then she threatened to end me if I didn't treat Bella with respect and she wanted me to give her space and to 'leave her be', now what the fuck is going on?"

Carlisle finished the bite of food in his mouth, "You eat and I'll talk, okay?"

Edward picked up his knife and fork.

"Your mother was petrified when you left. She was afraid that you were going to either disappear or relapse and then when she saw how closed off Bella became, she got really angry. I think that she just felt that this was Bella's time and that we should all have been here to support her. She is worried that you are going to hurt her again and that she will lose her 'long lost daughter.' She really loves that girl, Edward – we all do." Carlisle said quietly.

Edward nodded.

"Look, I see how it is with the two of you and it was obvious when you didn't surface until late last night, that you and she were clearing up your differences, but we just want you not to rush the physical aspect of your relationship. We know how it is with you young people, we all get urges, Edward…"

Edward could feel the tips of his ears turn red.

_OH DEAR GOD! Tell me he isn't going to launch into his 'sexual urges' speech…._

It was more embarrassing than when he was fourteen and his father had 'the sex talk' with him – a 'conversation' that he had with both Emmett and Jasper before him.

Edward face palmed and sat with his head in his hands, he wondered if all twenty-eight-year-old men had to answer to their parents about their sex life… _FUCK! The day just kept getting better and better…_

Finally he looked up to find Carlisle innocently drinking his cola.

"Dad," he said in a whisper. Carlisle turned to him with a smirk, "Yes, Son?"

"I'm begging you, please do not talk about my urges or Bella's or yours and mom's urges, please?" Edward knew that he was whimpering, but he couldn't help it.

Carlisle nodded with a chuckle, "Okay."

Edward let out a sigh of relief, "Bella and I just talked last night, I promise. There was no real touching of any kind. I told Bella that we need to slow things down and get to know each other first. Now are you satisfied?"

Carlisle sat back and smiled, "Yes I am, even though I know that you two aren't going to last six months without caving, at least your intentions are noble. Now back to the business at hand – I was wondering if you would consider taking on a partner."

"Partner? Who?"

"Ned Davis, our locum. He is so keen to work in private general practice and I thought that it would be good for both of you. You can share the work load because our client base has been increasing steadily."

Edward pursed his lips as he thought about his father's suggestion. Ned was a good and competent doctor, who was little older than Edward, as he had taken time off from school to work for a year to save for his tuition.

"It's something to think about if you are sure about retiring completely," Edward said as he cocked his eyebrow.

Carlisle grinned at him, "Your mother has convinced me and besides; I've been thinking of giving you a run for your money and running for mayor in the next election!"

Edward nodded enthusiastically and he answered in a raised voice, "At last! I never wanted that position and it will either be you or Randall Wilber and Randall sent me an email a month ago, outlining how he would like to turn Dorset common into a 'water theme park' to bring in more revenue… so it's all up to you!"

Several people around them laughed outright. It was no secret that two weeks before Edward had come home, he had been voted in as mayor of Hope Springs in abstention, because no one wanted Randall to have that sort of control.

Edward had still not recovered or forgiven them completely for landing him with a job that was largely about being a 'policeman' to the small town disputes that tended to occur, like the time that young Benny Robinson had gone to State Championships for pairs skating and Mr. Robinson wanted to stop the town from throwing him a parade, as he blamed his soon to be ex- wife for his son's 'gay-blade' tendencies.

They settled the bill before they wrapped up warmly and stepped outside. It wasn't snowing any longer and the sky had cleared, letting the weak sunlight cast an almost blinding light on the town.

Both Edward and Carlisle quickly pushed their sunglasses onto their faces as they walked back to the office.

"Have you spoken to your brothers?"

"I'm seeing them later. We are all going at Alistair's tonight, apparently it was Rosalie and Bella's idea, Alistair is hosting the Winter Wonderland Karaoke and DJ night and you know how Emmett and Jasper are with karaoke." He said with a laugh.

Carlisle nodded, "Just don't forget that Bella is under age, okay?"

Suddenly Edward was tired of being reminded that he really didn't have any business being in a relationship with Bella. He swung around and sneered, "I know that Dad, so does everyone else in this fucking town! Jesus! Do you think that I'm going to ply her with booze before I have my perverted way with her? Is that what you and mom, think of me? _Do you think that I'm like that fucker that raped her or her foster father that wanted to fucking sell her?_" The veins on Edward's neck were straining as he ranted at his father.

Carlisle pulled his sunglasses off and turned his ice-cold blue eyes to his son as he gripped the front of his shirt and pushed him into the wall, "Watch your mouth with me, Edward! Don't think that I won't knock you on your ass boy, because I will! None of us think that of you Edward, but things have a way of getting out of hand, it can happen to anyone. The only reason that you are hearing it from us is because you are the only one in a very precarious relationship and we care about both of you! Now pull yourself together!"

The two men stood panting as they stared at each other until Edward's eyes dropped to the ground and he took one step backwards, "Shit! I'm sorry Dad. Fuck, one day back and I'm already fighting with my own father!"

"Edward," When Edward looked at Carlisle, he was relieved to see that he too had calmed down and his eyes were warm and affectionate once more, "It is fine, well it's not fine that you wanted to take me on but it is fine and quite normal to feel so out of kilter when it comes to _les affaires de Coeur_ ** will leave your emotions all over the show. Just tread lightly, son, okay?"

Edward let out a shaky breath as he ran his hand through his hair, "Okay, sorry Dad."

About mid afternoon, Edward drove to Jasper's house. As soon as Alice had hugged and kissed him 'hello' she punched his arm, "Ow! Shit Shorty! What was that for?"

Alice pushed her fists onto her tiny hips and glared up at Edward with tears brimming in her eyes, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR? Are you even kidding me, asswipe? You just left and we were worried, that's 'what that was for!' Your competition has made huge headway with 'your girl', so you have your work cut out for you!" Alice finished with a huff as Edward lifted her off the ground and swung her around lightly as he hugged her.

"I missed you too, shortstop." Edward said as he dropped a kiss onto her head.

Alice pushed him away as Jasper walked into the hallway smiling broadly, "Edward! Good to have your ass home!"

The brothers hugged before Edward looked from one to the other, "From your language, I would guess that my darling niece and nephew aren't home?"

Jasper nodded, "That would be right; mom came to pick them up. She and Dad have got all of the rugrats, for the night. Em and Rose should be here soon." Jasper said as they made their way into the den.

"You want a beer?" Jasper asked.

Edward shrugged, "That depends, have you got any L.A?"

Jasper nodded, "Of course."

Alice frowned as she looked at Edward, "What's L.A?"

"Low Alcohol," Jasper answered his wife, "Ed's not had a drink in a while and it's best to ease back into full strength stuff.

Alice nodded, "Well, you and Bella can drink Shirley Temples tonight then." She snorted.

Edward flashed the bird just as there was a loud pounding on the front door before it bust open, "Edward fucking Cullen, get your skinny ass out here!" Emmett bellowed.

Edward shot to his feet and took off for the front hallway, while Alice glared at her husband, "I swear, Jasper, if those boneheads break…" _CRASH!_

Alice and Jasper heard the umbrella stand in the hallway crash to the floor.

Alice screeched and raced towards the two men who were rolling on the hardwood floor in the entrance hall. Jasper picked her up and put her on the second step of the staircase before he kicked off his shoes and wadded into the fray with enthusiasm.

Eventually they stopped rolling around and they lay in a tangle of arms and legs as they wheezed, coughed and laughed at themselves and each other.

Jasper lifted his head and looked around. There was no sign of Alice and Rosalie anywhere.

"I think it's safe to get up now." He whispered with a maniacal giggle.

Emmett groaned loudly, "Fucking hell, I don't think I can get up! What the fuck were you doing in Santa Barbara, Bro? You have abs like a freaking washboard!"

Edward chuckled as he lifted his head, "I think you tore my shirt, you dickhead!"

A throat clearing made their heads swing around to face the front door, where Bella was standing with her mouth hanging open, "Bella! What, um, what are you doing here?" Edward said as he looked his girl up and down.

She looked gorgeous in a pair of woolen tights, knee high boots, and what looked like some sort of jersey dress thing in a black, gold and copper pattern that came down to her mid thigh… Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was in the process of unwinding her black scarf and shrugging out of a long black padded jacket.

Edward tried to sit up but he had trouble with that as Emmett and Jasper chose that moment to remind him who his older brothers were by holding him down and messing his hair up even more.

"JASPER! EMMETT! Let him go!" Alice barked and the three men sprang apart as if they had been burned.

Alice smiled at Bella, "Come on in Bells, and just ignore the barbarians and come on through to the kitchen."

Bella walked past the men with just a 'hello boys.'

Edward fell back against the floorboards and put his hand over his heart dramatically as she passed, "You wound me Bella!"

She ignored him and giggled as she followed Alice into the kitchen.

Emmett looked at where the women had disappeared and then turned to Edward, "Dude, did you lose your balls or did your vagina swallow them?"

Jasper let out a bark of laughter as he rolled away and stood up. Edward followed as he glared at his oldest brother, "Shut the fuck up, _Dude_, because everyone knows that Rosalie has had your dick in her purse for years!"

Emmett took one step forward when they all heard a low growl like rumble. When they turned around, Bella stood in the doorway smiling innocently, "Sorry to disturb your tribal rituals, but Edward, do you think I could see you inside for a moment?" She turned without waiting for an answer and walked into Alice's den.

Edward ran a hand through his hair as he made his way into the den, "Hi." He said.

_Fuuuuck! _Bella was bending over her tights from her waist and at his voice she lifted her head as her hair fell around her. Edward could almost feel the curve of her ass up against his throbbing dick and her long coltish legs looked sexy as anything.

She straightened up slowly, "Sorry, I thought that I had a run in my tights, but I was wrong."

"You wanted to talk to me?" Edward said after he cleared his throat.

Bella frowned and tapped her finger against her moist, pink lips, "I did? Hmm, I forgot! Never mind. Are you going to Alistair's like that?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Edward looked down and saw that he had a few buttons missing from his shirt and his thermal T-shirt was stretched out.

"N-no! Of course not! I'm going home to change n-now. I will see you there..." he stammered and stuttered nervously.

Bella nodded, "Okay, well see you there, I guess."

"Um, yeah, you look, um. I gotta go." He turned and fled and Bella heard Emmett and Jasper tell Rose and Alice that they were going to check Roscoe's snow run with Edward. Rosalie quickly told them to meet the girls at the pub at six thirty instead of driving back to Alice's.

The front door closed and Bella looked up to see Alice and Rosalie staring at her with glee "Are you ready to make _Doctor _Edward Cullen a little crazy with desire, Bella?"

Bella grinned, "Oh yeah."

Alice laughed, "Come on girls, we have to get ready for tonight. Edward is going to have to realize that if he doesn't want you, someone else will!"

They pulled Bella up the stairs.

"Alice?"

"Yep?"

"I don't really want anyone else," she said nervously.

"Of course you don't silly, but Edward doesn't know that!"

"He's gonna be pissed!" Bella argued as Alice pushed her onto the vanity seat.

Rosalie and Alice smirked at each other and then at Bella in the mirror, "Honey, have you seen how hot the Cullen men are when they are pissed off?" Alice retorted with arched eyebrows.

Bella bit her lip and gave them a quick nod.

"Ready?"

Bella stared at her reflection in the mirror, "Let's do this!"

It was time to put operation _give-Edward-blue-balls_ into play!

Bella hoped that it didn't backfire.

=====HS=====

**A/N: I hope that it doesn't backfire either, Bella! Okay, so we are sticking around at Christmas for the next couple of chapters because there is a lot of fuckery going on in Hope Springs right now.**

**Thanks to everyone who is reading this story. Your support is amazing and I love your reviews – even the ones that tell me that this story is a load of shit! I am really enjoying writing Hope Springs and I love the characters.**

**Till next week,**

**Michele**


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

_****WARNING: TALK OF RAPE, ABUSE AND SCENES OF DRUG USE ** (NOT GRAPHIC)**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 15 – **_

_**They pulled Bella up the stairs. **_

"_**Alice?"**_

"_**Yep?"**_

"_**I don't really want anyone else," she said nervously.**_

"_**Of course you don't silly, but Edward doesn't know that!"**_

"_**He's gonna be pissed!" Bella argued as Alice pushed her onto the vanity seat.**_

_**Rosalie and Alice smirked at each other and then at Bella in the mirror, "Honey, have you seen how hot the Cullen men are when they are pissed off?" Alice retorted with arched eyebrows.**_

_**Bella bit her lip and gave them a quick nod.**_

"_**Ready?" **_

_**Bella stared at her reflection in the mirror, "Let's do this!"**_

_**It was time to put operation give-Edward-blue-balls into play!**_

_**Bella hoped that it didn't backfire.**_

**CHAPTER 16 – MISTELTOE AND BAR FIGHTS**

Emmett and Jasper made good on their promise to check the fastenings of the dog run while Edward had a shower and shaved. Emmett was insistent that they do their 'routine' again this year and although Edward hated being in the spotlight, he had to admit that they had always had a lot of fun, not to mention that he usually had a few admirers and the lucky lady usually got to take him home with her. Edward's smile turned into a frown – Bella was going to be there and he didn't want to go home with anyone but her. He hoped that the usual crowd wouldn't be there this year.

The Winter Wonderland Karaoke Festival was a very popular event with people coming from all around the area to participate. There were various categories and there were some great prizes up for grabs to the winner of each section with a grand prize for the overall winning group, duet or single act.

Edward rubbed his jaw before he rinsed his face and walked to his closet. He pulled out his black Levis, his black leather boots, his black button down, and his black leather jacket. He shoved his beanie, gloves into his pocket and on impulse he wound the scarf from Bella around his throat.

Jasper and Emmett were lounging in the sitting room when he walked into the room and they immediately began raging on him about his 'fuck-ugly' scarf. Edward growled at them as he dished up dinner for Roscoe.

Once Roscoe was eating his diner, Edward walked around the house, turning on lights and closing the doors to the rooms that Roscoe was not allowed into and making sure that the 'doggie' door that led from the mud room to the back patio was open and that the house was heated sufficiently.

The door to the guest bedroom that Bella had slept in stayed open, with the bedside lamp turned on.

Edward turned on the flat screen in the great room, much to amusement of his brothers and he made sure that it was tuned to National Geographic ®, so that Roscoe could watch the wild life shows, that he seemed to enjoy – Edward absolutely refused to allow him to watch any of the reality shows that Bella had said that he loved so much.

After they had a beer, the three brothers headed off to Alistair's in Edward's truck. Edward was surprised to see cars were already lined up around the block. Jasper frowned at the traffic jam but when they heard fellow drivers shouting abusive slogans at Randall, the town's self appointed traffic officer, who had caused a monstrous traffic snafu trying to direct traffic.

"Is he serious? He wants the town Mayor and doctor, the town attorney and the Sherriff, to park a mile down the road in snow?" Jasper ground out as Randall jumped in front of the truck and Edward cursed quietly as he stopped suddenly to avoid Randall. He wound the window down and stuck his head out, "RANDALL, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT OF OUR WAY BEFORE I ARREST YOUR ASS!"

Edward and Emmett laughed as Jasper muttered darkly to himself as Edward parked the truck and they got out.

They made their way into the packed pub. It was not yet six o'clock, but the place was already pumping. Alistair had hired a marquee for the holidays that covered his outside seating area so that the French doors could be opened between the two spaces. Several outdoor heaters were lit and warmed up the outside area, that had been fitted with a wooden 'floor' to help insulate the large marquee and the huge fireplaces in the dining area and the pub were blazing.

The men discarded their heavy outer garments and they handed them in at the coatroom before they made their way inside.

"EDWARD!" Alistair roared across the room as he watched the Cullen brothers arrive. A cheer rose up from the locals and several people got up to greet one of the towns' favorite sons. More than a couple of women's faces lit up when they saw the bronze haired man shoulder his way through the crowd towards the bar, stopping every now and again to chat.

Makenna was standing next to Alistair and she hurried around the long bar to hug Edward.

"Welcome back, stranger! You have been missed around here!" She said, smiling up at him.

"Thanks Mack, it feels good to be home again. It looks like business is good?" Edward said looking around.

Makenna laughed as she looked back at her husband, "Business is very good! Al has had to take on extra staff because he can't cope any longer. Our little pub is full almost every night and nowadays you are going to need to book a table for lunch or dinner!" she said with pride.

Alistair looked at the three men with a grin, "I see that you boys have dressed for the occasion! What can we expect from you tonight? Are you taking back the trophy this year?"

The 'trophy' was a two feet tall garden gnome figure, named 'ELF', sitting on a toadstool, with a fishing rod in his hands, a pipe sticking out of his mouth and a pointed hat. The garden gnome was out of the 'fairy' garden that Alistair had begun to create when he had bought the pub so that people with children could sit outside and the kids could play in the green belt space next to the pub. The space had become something of an icon in the town, with everyone adding bits and pieces. There were glass snowflakes and bright Christmas glass balls hanging from the branches in the trees, pretty bowling balls that had been painted in bright colors to resemble Easter eggs. A wooden wheel barrow housed a family of clay rabbits and mice. There were pixies in pretty pastel colored dresses made from porcelain and painted by Jessica; two wood sprites had been added in a corner that had a shallow water feature where the children could splash their toes in summer. Naughty goblins peeped around the corner of a wooden fort that had been donated by a few of the businesses. A swing set as well as a brightly painted purple and pink Wendy house had been add to the garden recently by Mr. and Mrs. Cope, who's own grandchildren lived on the West Coast. Mrs. Cope spent many of her spare hours on the shaded benches in the garden with her friends as they knitted and picked up on gossip as they watched the children playing.

Many of the town folk worked in the garden in their spare time, adding hand painted colored stones to the small pathways, or trimming bushes or planting flowers, much to the delight of the children of Hope Springs. What had begun as a small project had morphed into a community project that had brought visitors in from surrounding towns in the spring, summer and autumn months.

When Alistair had hosted the first Karaoke Festival, Alistair had forgotten to buy a trophy of some sort to present to the winner, so on impulse, Makenna had spray painted the gnome gold and she had painted a huge number one on its chest and 'ELF', the trophy gnome was born.

'ELF' was coveted by many, and the Cullen boys had lost by three points the year before to the 'Organic Wet Dogs', the aptly named group which consisted of Jacob, Sam, Jared and Collin, who were all of Native American decent.

"Damn straight, we are winning that gnome back! Those _dogs_ stole it from us last year." Emmett sneered as he joined them at the bar.

"And that was just because that ass Jake had to go and rip his T-shirt off his chest and then he did a back flip off the stage! I still say that we were robbed!" Jasper retorted.

Makenna rolled her eyes as she walked behind the bar again, "You are just jealous because Jake _can do a back flip_. You three are past your prime and you are all off the market in any case!"

Edward frowned, "What do you mean, 'off the market?'"

Mack turned around to face him, "You are asking me that? Really Edward, everyone knows that you and Bella are together…"

Edward held up his hand, "Stop saying that! You don't know anything! We…"

"Are you saying that we are free agents, Edward? Because if so, you just need to say the word and I can take up all the offers that I've been turning down." Bella spoke from his side.

Edward swung around; his eyes were wide with shock.

"No! No, that's not what I meant Bella; you are taking it out of context…" Edward's voice was rough with panic.

Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head as she sidestepped him when he reached for her, "It's okay, I see how it is. No worries!" She patted his arm. Edward looked up at the sound of a throat clearing to see his sister-in-laws shaking their heads at him.

"Quit while you are ahead, Doofus!" Alice said.

"Take that foot out of your mouth, Cullen!" Rosalie snorted.

Bella hid her smile as she greeted everyone. She turned to Makenna, "Hey Mack, are you ready for tonight?"

It was then that Edward noticed that Bella seemed to have changed; only he couldn't see what she was wearing because she, Rosalie and Alice were all wearing floor length heavy dark velvet cloaks, which covered them from head to toe.

Edward's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "What's going on?" he asked.

Alice winked at him, "Never you mind, 'young one', just watch and learn is all I'm saying!"

Bella giggled as Makenna opened the partition and ushered the girls behind the bar and up the stairs to the top floor.

Edward turned to look at his brothers, "What do you two know about this?"

Jasper and Emmett shrugged their shoulders, their faces as confused as Edward's. They turned as one to face Alastair who was chuckling behind the bar.

"Al! What do you know?"

Alistair shrugged and chuckled, "All I know is that Makenna received a frantic call last night and that set off a chain reaction, because this morning I was locked out of the storage rooms upstairs while your women, Mack, Jess and Angie were up there for hours. I was told to put '_Hometown Girls_' onto the list for tonight. That's it."

He laughed again and moved away as he threw a parting shot over his shoulder, "Something tells me that you boys shouldn't put money on winning tonight…"

Jasper leaned his back against the bar as he scowled at Edward, "I have a feeling that this is somehow your fault, little brother, so is there anything that you have to confess?"

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and opened his mouth but before he could say anything they were interrupted, "Hi, Edward!"

"Edward, hey there!"

"Looking mighty fine, Eddie!"

Edward turned around to glare at the three women who were undressing him with their eyes. Edward let out a huff of air, "Ladies how are you?"

Jasper turned away as he chuckled at the term 'ladies'.

The Morrow sisters were the bane of Edward Cullen's existence and had been for more than ten years. In fact they were the bane of most men under the age of eighty's existence. They had lived just outside of Hope Springs all their lives and ever since Edward had succumbed to temptation and he had lost his virginity to June Morrow when he was fifteen, behind his parents shed, it seemed that he had become a target for their not too subtle sexual advances.

Esme had gone crazy she had found out that a woman of twenty-two had seduced her son and she had threatened to have her arrested for statutory rape. That had not discouraged the sisters though.

August Morrow was the eldest sister at forty nine and like her sisters she had never married, but she had had an affair an affair with her high school Biology teacher as a freshman in high school and it had continued throughout her high school career and into her first two years of college. When the man died suddenly, August was left heartbroken and disgraced. The teacher's wife and children (one of whom was older than August) had blackened the family name far and wide.

Her sisters, April who was thirty nine and June who was thirty five had stayed single and all three sisters lived in their parents' home. August and June owned the only bookstore in town and April worked at the library.

The three women were not bad looking, with each of them favoring pale strawberry blonde hair, pale skin and watery blue eyes. But behind the outright flirtatiousness Edward had seen disillusionment in the three women, which was why he gave them any time at all. He felt sorry for them for having settled for scraps and furtive fucks in the backs of cars instead of pursuing proper relationships – not that he was one to talk of course.

None of them were above making a play for any of the men in town, whether they were married or not and Rosalie had broken April's nose two years before when she had caught April undressing in Emmett's office during an appointment. Luckily for Emmett, he had stepped out of his office to speak with his receptionist and Rosalie had noticed a discarded blouse on Emmett's office floor. The ensuing scene had not been pretty and Emmett had finally managed to disentangle Rosalie from April. He had locked Rosalie in his private bathroom before ushering April out of his offices, threatening to lay charges against her before he dared to let his hellcat wife out of the bathroom. He had narrowly missed a broken nose himself that day.

Needless to say the Morrow sisters kept the gossip mongers busy and any man that they were seen talking to was likely to come under scrutiny.

Emmett smirked as he looked at the three women, "Better be careful girls, my wife and sister-in-law are here, along with Edward's girl who has a black belt in 'kick-your-ass'!"

April looked around nervously and she pulled her sisters arms, "Let's just go – you know how crazy these Cullen women are. They can't keep their men happy, but they won't let anyone else do a good deed, either!"

"What's that skank? Are you talking to my husband? I thought that I taught you one lesson already?" Rosalie sneered as everyone in the vicinity of the Cullen's took a step backwards.

Rosalie Hale Cullen's temper was legendary. So was her and Emmett's fierce possessiveness over each other. Emmett had no problem with anyone looking at his beautiful wife, but if one man said the wrong thing, or made a move on her – Emmett had been known to break more than one jawbone in the fifteen years that he and Rosie had been together.

April let out an alarming squealing noise that sounded remarkably like a pig stuck in a fence as she jumped back from the seething blonde Amazon and her grinning companions. Bella had forgotten how great it felt to have adrenalin pumping through her veins as she prepared to end an argument with her fists. She did not like the way that the three 'hoes were standing just too close to Edward, Emmett and Jasper. The one bitch had her blood red talons on Edward's arm and Bella hissed. She may be small and she didn't know as much as other people but one thing she could do and that was fight.

Bella stretched her neck and Edward heard her spine crack a she pulled her small hands into fists.

He looked at his brothers for help but they were too busy ogling their wives. All three of them were dressed in black leather pants with white wife beaters and black leather jackets. Their hair had been straightened and hung like a curtain down their backs. Bella looked up at Edward and he saw the smoky black eye shadow and the dark lips that made her pale skin stand out.

"See something you like, Doc?" She said softly.

Edward's mouth curled up on one side, "You have no idea love…"

"_Love?_ Is she the one, Eddie? _This little tramp?_ – Please…" June shrieked loudly.

Edward groaned and his head dropped to his chest.

_Could he not catch a fucking break? Just once?_

He looked up in time to see Bella fly forward. Her hand reached for the frilly almost see-through white blouse that the older woman was wearing and she fisted it and dragged the woman forward so that they were almost toe-to-toe. Edward heard the material rip.

_Fuck._

Bella's eye were almost black with rage and her entire body shook with the emotion as she struggled to keep herself under control and not slap the woman in front of her, "Listen here _bitch_; I am not one of the 'ladies' from Hope Springs. I don't give a _flying fuck_ about you or what you have done in the past, but let's get one thing straight! _I. Am. Not. A. Fucking. Tramp_. From what I've heard about you and your disease carrying sisters here; you skanks are the tramps, so back the fuck off! You only get one warning from me, you hear?" Bella was snarling as she spoke. Her voice was low and gruff and Edward could feel how hard he had become, watching Bella lose control like that.

_Fuck! She was sexy! Was it so wrong of him to be so turned on right now_, he wondered dreamily.

"Dude!" Jasper hissed at him in disgust. His head jerked towards Bella, "Do something before I have to fucking arrest her! And hide _that_ away!" he said nodding to the bulge in Edward's jeans.

Edward smirked at him as he tried to adjust himself. He heard Emmett bark out a loud laugh but he ignored him as he snaked his hands around Bella's waist, trapping her arms this time and keeping her legs to the side of his body. He was not going to endure that again!

"Come on, 'Sugar Rae'; let's get some air before you land your ass in jail!" He said as he lifted Bella up and carried her out to the back of the building as Alastair led the way through the kitchen, much to the amusement of the waiters and chefs. There was a small covered porch behind the kitchen and once Edward was outside, and Alastair had closed the door and given his staff instructions that they were not to be disturbed, Edward lowered Bella to her feet but he kept her tightly bound against his body.

Meanwhile Bella was wriggling and squirming to try and get lose. She was furious that Edward had tried to stop her from defending herself. _She didn't need the great Edward Cullen to come in to 'save' her! She wasn't some fucking damsel in distress and she would show him just that if her ever let her go! _

"Stop struggling, Isabella! Stop it!" Both were breathing hard as they stilled. Edward couldn't help wince at some of the threats that Bella was making against his body, and namely his 'family jewels'.

After a few minutes she stopped hissing and cussing up a blue streak and Edward felt her stop trying to pull away from him.

"Now, if I let you go, are you going to behave yourself?" he asked breathlessly.

"Why don't you try it and see?" Bella replied sweetly.

_Too sweetly!_

Edward chuckled darkly and his mouth dipped down to brush against her earlobe. "I don't think so, darling."

Bella tried to stamp her five inch high stiletto heels onto his boot, but he quickly moved his feet away.

"Isabella, please be a good girl for me, love. Come on, I don't want to ruin our evening with something that some stupid, vapid woman says. Those women have been causing trouble in this town for years, love, no one cares what they say, they are all just talk and believe me, they are no threat to anyone, especially not you, love. Now, are you ready to talk calmly?"

Bella nodded and Edward wondered if he was taking his life into his own hand by trusting her.

"I'm going to let you go, but if you try to hit me, or bite me or kick me; then you and I are going to have a problem, understand?" Edward made sure that his voice was low and serious.

Bella snorted, "Why? Are you going to 'spank' me?" Bella air quoted on the word 'spank'.

Edward laughed again, "Don't tempt me. If you behave like a brat, maybe you should be treated like one."

For a moment Edward was lost in a dark fantasy in which he saw himself sitting, with Bella over his lap, her cute little bottom on display, pink from his hand… hmmm… should he be disturbed that the thought turned him on? Perhaps.

Bella laughed this time and snapped him out of his daydream; "You could try, although I'm guessing that your brothers and your father will beat the shit out of you if you so much as lift a hand to me!" What she didn't say was just how arousing the thought of being put over his lap was! Bella was more than a little shocked and disturbed by her thoughts as she asked him calmly, albeit a little breathlessly to let her go.

He loosened his hold slowly before he turned her around in the circle of his arms.

It took every bit of restraint that Bella possessed for her not to kick or hit out at Edward, but she kept reminding herself that _he_ was not the enemy, that skank, hoe, bitch inside was.

Edward was leaning against the wooden outdoor table that was used as a break room by the staff. He smiled down at her in the dim light that was shining into the room from the outside.

Bella glared at him as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Why did you stop me? I was going to show that bitch…"

Edward nodded, "Any that's exactly why. Have you forgotten that Jasper is the Sherriff in this town and he would have had to arrest your overprotective, sexy self? Now is that how you would want to spend your first weekend home?"

Bella opened her mouth and then let out a huff as she tapped her foot and shook her head. She stared at the ground for a moment before she looked up at Edward with a small smile on her face, "You think I look sexy?" she asked.

Edward let out a loud laugh before he ran his hands through his hair, "Jeez Bella, you are giving me whiplash with your mood swings! I said all that and all you heard was 'sexy?"

Bella nodded, "Well yeah?"

Edward sighed before he put his hands out and Bella walked forward until his large hands spanned her leather clad waist and she stood between his outstretched legs, "Fuck, Bella, you could try the patience of a saint love, and I am no saint! Hell yes, you look sexy! Now are you ready to go back inside?"

Bella nodded and Edward noticed that when she wasn't getting her way she had the most adorable habit of pouting, so that her plump bottom lip stuck out and all Edward could think about was sucking it into his mouth.

Edward closed his eyes for a moment before he looked at her in reproach, "Don't tempt me, Isabella, I want to do this correctly. We need to go slow love, but you need to help me here."

The mischievous glint in Bella's eyes should have warned him as she took another step forward that brought her hips flush against his. Edward groaned as she swiveled her hips against him, causing his Prince Albert to grind against Bella's core. She gasped and her eyes darkened as she felt the ridge brush over her clit. Edward cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her.

"Intrigued?" he rasped.

Bella gave a tautening little shrug and Edward's hands gripped her hips but Bella smiled serenely up at him as she moved out of his space. She walked towards the door and all that Edward could think of was how bitable her ass looked in the black leather.

Bella grinned as she opened the door and looked at Edward over her shoulder. He looked as if he was a starving man and her ass was his last meal. His eyes were black as night and a silent thrill ran up Bella's spine. She knew that she was taunting him, but she wanted him to see what he would be missing if he didn't make a move on her soon.

"Coming Edward?" she asked innocently and she giggled delightfully when he growled in response.

Bella quickly walked back through the kitchen, smiling at some of the staff, that grinned at her as she walked past. When she walked out to the bar area, a round of applause broke out, "Hey it's the champ!" Emmett hollered.

Alice and Rosalie waved her over to a table, where she saw were several platters of food. "We decided to get a little of everything." Alice explained as Bella slid into the booth.

"So I see," Bella said with raised eyebrows. She took a side plate from Jasper and she began to dish a selection of the 'tapas' style food onto her plate.

A few moments later, Edward appeared and he slid into the seat next to Bella.

"So, welcome to the family Bells." Jasper said after they had both taken a sip of their drinks. Bella was drinking a non-alcoholic cola tonic and soda water and Edward had swapped his light beer for a tall draught.

Everybody began to laugh, including Edward. Bella frowned as she looked around her, "What's the joke?"

Emmett spoke up, "Well nothing if you consider that every woman in our family has had a run in with the 'Banger Sisters', I mean the _Morrow_ sisters! You were no exception! So! Here is to our little spitfire, Bella Swan-'Cullen' – long may you rein, girl!"

Bella was blushing with pleasure especially as more than a few people around them were sniggering into their drinks. A few people actually raised their drinks to Bella in silent salute. She liked the sound of her name – Bella Swan-Cullen. Bella Cullen. She let her hair fall over her face to hide her blush.

Bella looked up when she heard her named being called and at Alice's urging; she stood up and took a quick bow amid applause. Just then Alistair jumped up onto the stage and he called for everyone's attention.

He quickly ran down the 'rules' of the competition which were simple:

Everyone that took the stage had to sing; everyone would get three songs to sing; the judges' decision, were final!

Then he reminded everyone that the prize was of course, ELF the trophy for a year; bragging rights; a photo on the 'I knew you when…' display wall of past winners in the pub; and several other, prizes, one of which included a weekend away for three nights and four days to a romantic hotel for the Valentine's Day weekend.

There were many cat-calls and whistles as Alistair wiggled his eyebrows and gave a little shimmy-shake with his hips.

He waved his hands to quiet everyone down, "Now, wait a minute! Wait a damn minute! Of course the couple or couples that get to go away needs to be eighteen or over and their stay will include Maple tours, a show, dinners and breakfast, a cooking class with the chef …" He went on but Bella had stopped listening. She was staring down at the table imagining her and Edward going away together for three nights together!

"Bella? Love? Would you like something to drink?" Edward spoke into her ear and he wondered what caused the delightful blush to spread over her cheeks as she bit her bottom lip and shook her head quickly, "Um, water please. Just water." She whispered before she pressed her hands over her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked. Bella nodded before she stood up and took off her leather jacket.

Edward's eyes widened at the sight of the white lacy bra through the strings of the wife beater. He opened his mouth to tell her to put her jacket back on immediately but when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.

Alice was looking at him and shaking her head. 'No' she mouthed to him.

Edward frowned but said nothing.

The Karaoke competition began and for the next hour Bella had fun as she slowly began to join into the spirit of the occasion.

It was obvious that although there was lots of ribbing and good natured teasing, no one was mean spirited or judgmental, even about the less than stellar performances of which there were many.

Once it was time for the 'groups' to take the stage, Bella began to feel a little less confident. She knew that she had a good singing voice – at least that's what the choir teacher at the small church had told her.

Bella frowned, but that was before she was asked to leave, because she didn't have a 'mother or father' to support her and attend services with her.

Makenna calling her name brought her out of the funk that she had settled into and Bella plastered a smile on her face as she got up and put her jacket on again.

_Fuck, she wished that she drank_! She thought as she weaved her way to the side of the stage. She could see that Alice and Rosalie were happy-drunk and full of Dutch courage as they waited for their name to be called.

A young man smiled at her as she stood in line. Bella grimaced at him and he walked over to her, "Hey, you look like you are going to pass out, here, have a drink."

Bella's throat was suddenly parched and she nodded, "Thanks". She reached for the glass that he held out to her.

Just then Alice motioned her up the steps.

Kyle glared at her for ruining his plans, but he was confident that he would get her upon her return.

Alice looked at the man standing with his friends, fist bumping them as they sniggered together. She narrowed her eyes at him, "Kyle Laurent, I don't know what you are up to, but leave Bella alone, you hear me?"

Kyle mock bowed to her, "Whatever you say, 'Lady Alice.' I tell you girl, I could still show you a good time – better than your husband over there. You want a piece of this, baby?" He put his hand over the zipper of his dirty jeans. Alice threw back her head and laughed, "You will need a magnifying glass to find that, asshole! I'm not telling you again: _stay away from Bella_."

"When was the last time that you had 'dick' Alice, coz it seems that all you get from him," he nodded towards Jasper, "is pussy."

Alice shook her head and sneered, "In your dreams, Asshole!"

Alice looked up at Bella worriedly; "Bells, what did that..." the rest of her sentence was lost as Alistair took to center stage once more.

"And now: for your listening pleasure, I would like to introduce _Hometown Girls! _Gentlemen, might I remind you that you may look, but you may _not_ touch! Take it away girls!" Alistair said with a flourish.

Alice, Rosalie, and Bella took their places on the stage. They had only practiced three songs that they all knew, but Bella was taking the lead vocals on the first number.

The intro began and the pub went wild as Joan Jet's _I Love Rock 'n Roll _began to belt out of the speakers.

When Bella opened her mouth and the first words came out - the entire pub stopped making a noise.

Edward's mouth dropped open as Bella morphed into Joan Jet right before his eyes. She was sexy and sultry. She was teasing and sensual. Her voice was rough and amazing. She writhed on stage along with the two other women. Mike and Jessica as well as Angela and Ben had joined their table and Edward was pissed to see his friends staring wide eyed at the three beauties on the stage. Angela looked at her husband and tapped his arm.

"What?" he shouted.

Angela held out a napkin, "I know that Bella's hot, babe, but you're drooling and I'm pretty sure that Edward is going to kick your ass!"

Ben looked up, only to see Edward glaring at him. "Sorry dude, but come on! Even Angie thinks she's hot!" he shrugged.

Angela nodded, "I would totally make out with her!" she shouted much to her husband's dismay.

Jasper laughed and clapped Edward on the shoulder. "Relax bro; she is having a great time, look!"

When the leather jackets were tossed to the ground and the girls began to grind to the beat, Jasper came half out of his seat, "No fucking way! What..." he spluttered.

Almost every man in the pub was on their feet, shouting, singing along or making lured suggestive movements to the women on the stage.

Edward gasped as Rosalie tossed her hair over her shoulder as she turned sideways and ground her hips into Bella's ass. Bella's tits were pressed into Alice's back and Rosie laughed as Alice reached back and put her hands over Bella's ass.

With one final chorus the song ended and everyone went berserk. Even the women were hooting and hollering at the stage.

Jasper turned to look at his brothers with wide eyes, "I think we are in some trouble boys…" he said.

Edward nodded his agreement but Emmett shook his head, "No way! We just need to up the ante, boys! They want to tease the guys, well we can tease the gals!" he said with a smirk.

When the noise died down, the next song began and Rosalie's voice came over the microphone, "This one is for the ladies…" she said with a smirk and wink.

_It's Raining Men_ began and Emmett threw his hands up in the air, "How are we gonna compete with that?"

The girls disappeared off the stage for a 'thirty second change' and when the lights went up for their last number, Edward, Emmett, and Jasper surged to their feet.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Emmett roared.

Edward looked at Bella with narrowed eyes, oh yes; he was so onto her game. The little cocktease was playing him like a fucking fiddle.

The outfits that the girls were wearing were modified 'mother Christmas' costumes. Only they didn't looked anything like mother Christmas, more like sex kittens.

Gone were the boots and leather and in its place were velvet dresses with thin straps over the shoulders, in dark red, which barely covered their breasts and ended just below the apex of their thighs in front and it tapered lower at the back. The white feather trim around the bottom of the dress only served as a frame for what the velvet was hiding. Six inch see-through kick-ass shoes adorned their feet.

Each of the girls wore a 'Santa Claus' hat in the same velvet with white feather trim.

Their last number was _'Man, I feel like a woman!' _and they nailed it. Emmett rolled his eyes before he shook his head with determination, "This isn't over, okay? We fight!"

The three men high fived, much to the amusement of Makenna, Jessica and Angela.

"I don't know how you are going to beat them boys, they were awesome!" Angela said.

Emmett glared at her with mock severity, "Blasphemy woman! We are men; hear us roar!"

The table erupted into laughter.

Bella, Alice and Rosalie gathered their clothes from backstage and made their way down the steps.

As Bella stepped down, she noticed the same guy that had spoken to her from before approaching her again.

"Thirsty?" Kyle said as Bella walked past him. She stopped and nodded as she pulled her hair off her neck.

"Here, have some 'juice'." He said sweetly.

She didn't notice the sly looks between him and his group of friends sitting at the table. Bella drank the full tall glass of liquid. It was pleasant tasting although she could taste a slightly bitter taste afterwards. "What was that?" she said as she scrunched up her nose.

The man grinned at her, "_Love Juice_, baby." His cold blue eyes twinkled with hidden secrets. Bella shivered slightly. She didn't quite like the look of the young man, who seemed to be in his early twenties. His dirty blonde hair was cut short and he should have been good-looking, but there was something off about him. He seemed cold and calculating.

Bella rolled her eyes as she handed the glass back to him, "Whatever. Thanks anyway." She said as she moved back to the table.

Edward stood up and Bella scooted into the seat next to him. He held up a bottle of iced water and Bella drank from it thirstily.

"Better?" he asked when she was finished drinking.

Bella nodded, "Yeah, that other stuff was bitter…"

Edward frowned but as he was about to question her further, Alastair called them onto the stage.

After a quick huddle, they decided to go all out; and Edward took center stage with Jasper and Emmett on either side of him.

Bon Jovi's _Living on a Prayer_, was the first song that they sang and Bella licked her lips as she watched Edward strut across the stage.

"See something you like, Bells?" She looked up guiltily to see Rosalie, Alice and Makenna staring at her in open amusement.

Knowing that there was no denying it she just shrugged sheepishly, "Do you blame me?" she asked.

Makenna laughed loudly, "No Ma'am! That is one very fine piece of ass right there!" she nodded towards the stage as they watched Edward, Emmett and Jasper turn around and gyrated their hips, which made their asses taut.

"Fuck! I'm getting some of that tonight!" Alice slurred happily.

Rosalie nodded enthusiastically, "Win, lose or draw, it is on tonight, baby!"

They all stood up and cheered loudly as the song came to an end and Edward flashed Bella his crooked smile.

She was sure that she was drooling.

Bella blew her hair off her face noisily and looked around. The room seemed so warm. _Fuuuck…. I feel horny… hmmm… look at Alice, little Alicat. Sooo pretty…_

_Humph. Rosie's titties are so pretty and perky… I wonder if mine are as perky… Maybe I should look…_

"BELLA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Alice screeched.

Bella looked up with a sloppy smile, "Ali, you are so damn cute, you know? I love you so much…" Bella said as Alice looked around in a panic and she pulled Bella's hands from out of the bodice of her dress.

"Rosalie! Something's wrong with Bella! Look at her!"

Rosalie frowned and looked at her friend. Bella's eyes were unusually bright, her cheeks were flushed and she was smiling like a fool.

"Has she had anything to drink?" She asked Alice.

Alice shook her head, "Not that I have seen, but she was just about to pull her tits out of her dress!"

Rosalie shrugged, she was a little too inebriated to care much, "Make her drink water."

Alice poured a glass of water unsteadily from the pitcher in the middle of the table and pushed it at Bella, "Here! Drink this!"

Bella blew her a kiss and down the glass, before going back for another.

Jasper took the next song and everyone cheered when they heard the opening of _Sweet Home Alabama_, everyone's favorite.

Edward looked across to the table and he noticed that Bella's eyes were shining brightly and she was getting more provocative in her dancing and he wondered if she had something alcoholic to drink.

As he glanced down he noticed that the town's local trouble maker Kyle Laurent and his 'band' of stupid followers were sitting near the stage. He didn't like the way that Kyle was looking at Bella. Every now and again, he would look at his friends and they seemed to be egging him on.

For the last number, Emmett decided to pull out all the stops and he made his brothers pull their shirts off for _Sex on fire._

Bella began to pull her dress off as she licked her lips at the sight of Edward's naked chest, but Alice stopped her. Bella pouted, "But Aliiiiii, I want to fuck him so badly…"

Alice glared at her, "What is _wrong_ with you Bella?"

But Bella was climbing up on her chair. She was dancing and cat-calling as she grinned at Edward.

Suddenly Edward couldn't wait to finish up on the stage as his eyes kept darting between Bella and Kyle. The little shit was up to something, he just knew it.

Bella was standing on her chair as were most of the other women in the pub, but Edward noticed how she kept pushing her hair off her face.

She was sweating profusely and Edward frowned. It was warm inside, but not overly so. In fact several people still had jerseys on over their tops. Even Alice and Rosalie had put their cloaks back on, but Bella looked as if she was burning up, her hair was wet and plastered to her face and he noticed that she seemed to be downing glass after glass of water.

He watched in growing alarm as Kyle Laurent approached Bella after he had covertly glanced around to see if anyone was taking notice of him, besides his friends. He said something to her and she smiled sloppily at him as he helped her off the chair and with a last smirk to his friends, he began to lead her towards the exit.

Just then the song finished, Edward pulled his shirt on, not bothering button it. He leapt off the front of the stage just as Kyle disappeared out the front door.

"No!" Edward half shouted as he dashed forward.

He pushed through the crowd, none of whom seemed to notice that something was very wrong and as he got outside he spotted Kyle and Bella a few cars down the road and he saw Kyle trying to push Bella into his old truck.

"LAURENT! GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!" Edward roared as he flew forward, ignoring the fact that it was freezing cold – his blood felt as if it was boiling.

Kyle turned with a smirk that slid off his face as he saw that Edward had followed him.

"She's not feeling well; I was just taking care of her man." He said smoothly, his cocky smirk firmly back in place.

"Edwaaaarrrrd, YOOOOOUUUUR SEX ISSSSS ON FIIIIIII-EEEEERRRRRR!" Bella sang-shouted as she slumped against the side of the truck, giggling before she stumbled and frowned.

"What the fuck have you done to her, Laurent?" Edward growled.

Kyle shrugged, "She wanted a little pick-me-up…" he said.

Edward leapt forward and his fist connected with the man's face.

He heard a shout behind him but he drove his fist into the younger man's jaw twice more before his arms had been pinned behind him.

He could hear his brothers and others around him. A woman screamed.

"EDWARD! CALM THE FUCK DOWN! Now, what the fuck is going on?" Jasper's voice demanded.

"He fucking _drugged_ her! Look at her, Jasper! She is almost catatonic! What did you give her you bastard?"

Kyle wiped the blood off his face and glared at Edward, "Chill out man, it was just some 'E'* and a little 'Roach'* man! No need to go postal on me."

"_No need to_… you fucking little shit; I will _kill_ you if anything happens to her!" Edward screamed.

Jasper was on the phone, while Alistair and Mike held him back. Emmett was holding onto Kyle.

"Edward, dad says to take her straight to Mercy – he will meet you there. Ben, help me get this piece of shit and his friends down to the station."

"I know my rights!" Kyle protested as Emmett 'accidentally' kicked his legs out from underneath him.

He screamed as his face hit the pavement.

Emmett looked up, "Oops look at that; _you slipped buddy_, come on, let's get you to the station."

"I'll sue!" Kyle whined as Emmett frog-marched him to the two deputies waiting to one side.

"For what? For falling? You are more stupid than you look!" Emmett retorted.

Jasper looked at him, "I'll be back in ten minutes. Help Edward get her to hospital… wow that was fast." Jasper looked up to see Edward already lifting Bella into the backseat of his truck.

Edward cursed all the way to Woodstock. He was so angry that he was shaking. Bella kept singing and giggling to herself.

She had told Edward how she wanted to fuck him like an animal and how her sex was on fire. Edward thanked God that he kept bottles of water in the built-in fridge in his truck because Bella drank two bottles before they arrived at Mercy Hospital.

Carlisle was waiting outside, in spite of the cold. He rushed forward as Edward stopped. Between them they slid Bella outside before Edward swung her up into his arms.

"_How the hell did this happen, Edward_?" Carlisle snapped as they raced into the emergency room and Edward laid Bella out on the exam table.

Edward scowled at him, "We were on stage and that little bastard, Kyle Laurent slipped her something. She had said earlier that the water that I gave her was better than the 'other stuff she had'. She said that it was bitter…"

Both men were silent as they worked to check Bella's vital signs. Her heartbeat was a little fast but it was strong. Her breathing was erratic and that worried Edward but Carlisle was most concerned about the copious amount that she was sweating. Her skin was hot and flushed and she had begun to whimper as she forced her eyes to open.

Carlisle quickly drew some blood and told the nurse to get a rush on it. He also told her that it was needed for a police report for suspected date rape drugs.

The nurse nodded and she ran down to the lab. Everyone in the hospital was aware of the fact that certain drugs were almost undetectable unless they were specifically checked for, which is why a special request had to be put in to check for those 'indictable narcotics.'

"Edward… help me… Don't feel good… help…" Bella was panting. _She was so hot… and now she felt scared… why did she feel so afraid… Edward…_

"I'm here love, Dad and I are going to help you, but it's going to be uncomfortable. I'm going to cool you down, okay?"

Carlisle called a nurse and instructed her to fill a bath with cold water. He turned to Edward with a sympatric smile, "We are going to have to keep her in that water until her temperature drops, okay, son?"

Edward nodded, "She is not going to like it…"

Edward moved the gurney to the treatment room just as the bath had finished filling up to about half way. Edward nodded to the nurse and they began to undress Bella quickly while Carlisle put a saline drip into her arm

"Cool down… need…"

"I know, Bella, we will cool you down honey. Hang in there." Carlisle crooned as he monitored her heart and blood pressure. Bella had fallen asleep and Edward knew that she was going to sleep deeply for the next several hours.

Once Bella had been stripped down to her white lace boy shorts and he had carried her to use the toilet, Edward gently lowered her into the cold water.

_Dear Lord_, he was trying not to see her as anyone else other than a patient, but he could not ignore how perfect Bella's body was. Her breasts were smaller, but perfect with rosy pink nipples that made his mouth water and his dick twitch. Her waist was tiny, but in perfect proportion to the swell of her hips and her long, coltish legs.

Bella's eyes fluttered several times, but she didn't wake up during the 'cooling' treatment. Once her temperature was down to normal, Bella was taken from the water and Edward and a nurse dried her gently before Edward dressed her in a pair of pink scrubs that the nurse had secured for him, because Edward knew that Bella hated hospital gowns. Edward gently dried her hair before he pulled it away from her face in a low ponytail.

Once she was dressed, Edward put a pair of socks from the gift shop on her feet to make sure that she didn't' loose too much heat and Carlisle admitted her for observation for the night.

Carlisle promised to stay with her while Edward went to shower and change out of his wet and cold clothing. He was grateful for the fact that he kept clothes at the hospital as he dressed in a long sleeved thermal top before he pulled his scrubs on. He put warm socks on and the spare pair of sneakers that he had left in his locker for emergencies.

Once he was dressed he wasted little time before he returned to Bella's room. Carlisle had managed to secure a private room for her and when Edward walked in, he saw Carlisle deep in conversation with the lab technician and Jasper.

"What is the result?" Edward asked quietly.

"Well, it looks like that little punk was telling the truth. Bella has trace amounts of *Rohypnol as well as *Ecstasy in her system." Jasper spat out.

Carlisle thanked the tech and he left. The three men looked at each other for a moment, before Carlisle sighed, "Well, the cocktail that I have given her in her IV should help to flush the rest of the drugs from her system, but she is going to have a bit of a headache when she wakes up and she is going to sleep for a while."

Edward growled low in his throat at the thought of what could have happened to Bella.

"The important thing to remember is that she is safe. You got to her in time. You were alert and you noticed that something was wrong and that is why she is here with us right now and not off somewhere…" Carlisle broke off as he turned away sharply to hide the sudden moisture in his eyes.

Jasper put a hand on his father's shoulder and one on Edward's, "We have them in custody now. This ends _tonight_ and between you and Emmett being so 'clumsy' with our little perp, he has a broken nose and a couple of loose teeth, but I called Doc Bradley from over in Reading and he came out. He gave me a certificate and treated the little bastard."

Carlisle gave a deep sigh before he reached out and took hold of Edward's hand that was had a few gashes on the knuckles.

"We need to get this cleaned up. You may need a stitch or two."

Edward began to shake his head before his father held out his hand, "Relax, Edward, I will have a kit sent up here."

Edward nodded and Carlisle left the room, making sure that he closed the door behind him.

Edward walked over to the chair next to the bed and sat down. Bella looked so fragile and small as she lay curled up in the white bedding. Her skin looked pale and almost translucent. Edward brushed his unharmed hand across her cheek. Her skin felt cool to the touch and Edward sighed with relief. He knew that she was on the home stretch and within a few hours, she would be fine.

"How the fuck did this happen Jasper? In Hope of all places! Our town is supposed to be a safe place. Who knows how long this fucker has prayed on young girls in the area or in the surrounding areas. This could be our baby sister, or one of the kids lying here. Bella wasn't even drinking tonight. I know that she doesn't really like the taste. He must have offered her something, she said something about a bitter drink and she looked back towards his table. What if it were Bree or one of her friends?" Edward asked as he held his head in his hands and tugged on his hair.

Jasper pulled another chair close and sat down next to Edward. "Edward, look at me." Edward looked up, "She is going to be fine. Bella is going to be just fine and that little fucker is going away for a long fucking time. This isn't his first offense with drugs and this time, I will make sure that he isn't shown mercy. _How do we keep them safe? _ We talk about this! We make it known that this type of thing happens in sleepy little towns as well as big cities! We make sure that the parents and the kids know that it's not just New York or Los Angeles that has a drug problem! That is why it's important to educate everyone! Talk about the buddy system; and not to take open drinks from strangers; and not to let your guard down, not even for a second. Our town is safer than a lot of places but it is not above crime and evil. We as the adults need to make sure that our children know what can happen and we also need to try and find out if it's happened before."

Jasper nodded at Edward, "If you want to do one effective thing as mayor in Hope Springs, then do this! _Make this count, Edward_. Sure we all joke about you being mayor, when up till now it's been about our one traffic light and whether we should hold the spring festival before Easter, but this is important, so do something mayoral for a change! Make a noise about this." The two brothers stared at Bella for a moment as she mumbled.

"I don't think that Bella is the first girl that Laurent has done this to. You would think after what happened with his father that he would be more of an upstanding citizen." Jasper said.

Edward nodded, "I know, James is one of the most harmless people that we know and look what happened when he was hit by that drugged up driver… he's been in a wheelchair for almost fifteen years. James will go through the roof when he finds out what his youngest has been up to! And Victoria will kill him herself!"

Jasper nodded in agreement, "I have worked with James and his family for the last seven years, ever since Kyle began to get into trouble. The other three children are pillars of the community but Kyle for some reason is just, bad. He is a bad seed and I feel sorry for his parents who have done everything in their power to make sure that he grows up the 'right' way."

Jasper sighed and stood up. Edward stood as well, "Thank you for coming through, you didn't have to."

"You are my brother and she is family so where else would I be? I'd better go; everyone is waiting at mom's place for news. Take care of yourselves." Jasper said and he gave Edward a quick hug.

"You did good, bro. You saved your woman." Jasper whispered.

Edward smiled as they separated, "I needed to hear that."

Jasper smirked as he reached the door, "I know. Later, bro."

Carlisle met Jasper in the hallway outside of Bella's room and after a brief discussion; Carlisle walked into Bella's room and turned a light on in the corner of Bella's room, where there was a small table, a sofa and a chair.

"Come and sit here so that I can see that hand." He said softly to Edward.

Edward sat on the sofa and put his hand on the table between them.

"Hmm, you've got a few nasty gashes here, Son. Is this from a tooth?" Carlisle mused as he worked.

Edward shrugged, "I have no idea, Dad. I just saw red and I wanted to kill the little sonofabitch!"

Carlisle paused and looked at Edward with a smirk, "I know that I shouldn't say it but I am so fucking proud of you boys! I hope that you did some lasting damage on that swine." Edward grinned and then grimaced as Carlisle touched a particularly sore cut.

"I think that some surgical glue and a couple of butterfly band aids should do it, but when was the last time that you had a tetanus shot?"

Edward smiled, "Thankfully it was only six months ago! I hate those damn things, they hurt like hell!"

Carlisle agreed, "Well, they are not supposed be pleasant, Edward, not everything can have a 'strawberry pop' flavor!" The two men laughed.

As a child, the only way that Edward would allow himself to be treated for any scrap, fall or injury was if he was bribed first with a strawberry flavored lollypop. Carlisle and Esme made sure that there were always a substantial amount in a large glass jar in Carlisle's office.

Edward smiled at his father, "Yeah, but you still have the lollies in your office!"

"And you still steal them!"

Bella whimpered in her sleep and Edward's head turned towards her. He made to stand up, but Carlisle held him back.

"She won't wake up, son and I need to finish this. The last thing that you need is some horrendous infection from that… that rat!"

Five minutes later Carlisle was finished and Edward's hand had been bandaged to keep the wounds as clean and sterile as possible.

Carlisle left to get some sleep and Edward quickly converted the sofa into the small sofa bed and pulled it closer, so that he could lie down, but still be close to Bella. He realized how exhausted he was and he was shocked when he looked at his watch that it was already almost three in the morning.

He leaned forward and gently placed a kiss on Bella's lips.

As he pulled away Bella shocked him by mumbling, "Hmm… first kiss… mistletoe… Ed…" his eyes shot up to hers but she was still asleep.

He smiled as he lay down and wondered if life with Bella was always going be this eventful.

His expression changed to one of anxiety as he thought of what might have happened. Edward closed his eyes.

She was safe now and he intended to make sure that she would stay that way.

=====HS=====

Edward's eyes fluttered as the clouds of restless sleep lifted. He opened his eyes and saw a pair of chocolate brown eyes staring back at him.

He sat up sharply and groaned, "Hi! Oh God, these things were never made to sleep on. You are awake! How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Just let me…"

Bella giggled, "Slow down before you hurt yourself! I've got a bit of a headache, well a big headache, but they have given me something for it. Your dad was in earlier and he told me what had happened."

Bella bit her bottom lip nervously; "Thank you for saving me, again. I'm sorry that you always have to come to my rescue."

Her eyes slid away from his and Edward watched as two bright pink spots tinged her cheeks as she shook her head and closed her eyes briefly, "You probably think I'm so dumb…"

Edward reached over and captured her hand that had been twisting in the thin blanket. He knew that this was one of her nervous habits and he was determined to ease her mind.

"Never, ever say that you are dumb, do you hear me?" he said with low intensity.

Bella looked at him sharply, "But..."

Edward shook his head, "No buts about it! That little fucker planned this! You couldn't have known Bella; none of us had any idea that he was spiking women's drinks!"

Bella sighed, "That's what your dad said."

Edward nodded, "It's true. How long did I sleep for?"

"Well, it's past ten now, but apparently you only got to sleep sometime after three this morning, so it's not like you are being a lazy bones."

Edward smiled and reached out to brush her hair out of her eyes, "Did Dad say when you can go home?"

"Whenever you are ready, I've already signed my discharge papers so I was just waiting for you to wake up. I am so ready to go home!"

Edward stood up and folded the sofa bed back into place before he excused himself to use the small bathroom. Bella handed him a new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste that Carlisle had brought with him.

Once he had washed his face, brushed his teeth and combed his fingers through his hair, he felt somewhat better.

He noticed that Bella's IV's had been removed and she was standing in front of the small window when he walked back inside.

He joined her at the window. Outside was covered in a layer of fresh snow.

"It's so pretty." Bella whispered as turned and looked up at him.

Their eyes met and the world melted away.

"Nothing is as pretty as you, Bella Swan." Edward said softly and Bella saw the truth of his words in his warm, affectionate gaze.

She said the first thing that she was thinking, "I've got mistletoe at home…"

Edward's eyes sparkled as he traced Bella's lips with the tip of his finger, "Let's pretend…"

His head lowered as Bella's breathing hitched, "Stay very still…" he muttered.

Slowly, painfully he lowered his head towards her. Bella felt as if her heart was going to give out at any moment.

And then he kissed her.

Bella gasped at the sensation of his exquisitely soft lips as they teased hers. Edward took advantage of her open mouth to tease her further with the tip of his tongue, but Bella wasn't having any of that.

With a groan of frustration, she stood on tiptoe and wound her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer.

Bella felt Edward's heart beating against her chest and she was thrilled to notice that his heart was pounding as rapidly as hers was.

_Heaven._

Edward was in heaven. To have Bella this close, finally was everything and more that he had dreamed of. Her lips were soft and plump and he could not stop dipping into them, nibbling, sucking, tasting…

Finally when their lungs were bursting they parted, only enough to press their foreheads against each others as they panted.

"Perfect!" Edward breathed.

"Fucking awesome!" Bella responded before she opened her eyes to discover that he was watching her closely.

"Too much?" he asked.

Bella pulled back and shook her head vigorously, "No, but I'm feeling a little dizzy."

At Edward's look of panicked concern Bella laughed, "Just from lack of oxygen, Edward, nothing else."

"Shall we go home?" he asked as he pulled away enough to put an arm around her shoulders.

Bella nodded, "Yeah, I believe that we have a tree to decorate."

They didn't talk much during the drive home, but Edward held Bella's hand on his knee the entire way home.

When they swung around the driveway, Bella half groaned, half laughed at the sight of his brothers and their wives and children as well as his parents, Alastair and Makenna, Angela and Ben, Billy and Sue, Jake, Vanessa and their son Quil standing on the front porch in the cold, waiting for them.

"The people in this town really need some hobbies, you know!" Bella said with a pout, but Edward saw her happy smile.

"They have a hobby, love, putting their noses into our business! Come on, we can't put this off any longer!" he said with a nod to where Jake, Billy and Emmett were hurrying over to help Bella from the truck.

She was soon ensconced in hugs, kisses, and well-meaning tears.

During the day, more people arrived to see for themselves that Bella had fully recovered from her ordeal.

Later that evening, after an impromptu pot luck supper that half the town had turned up to, the Cullen's house was decorated from the top of the chimney (Emmett insisted on putting Rudolf on the roof), to the thousands of fairy lights that were threaded through the trees that lined the driveway, and everywhere in-between.

Bella sat on the sofa and stared at the Christmas tree that was easily fifteen feet tall. It was adorned with old and new decorations, including a Christmas ball with her name on it; Esme explained that every member of her family had their own.

Bella's was green, a deep, clear green with her name written in gold, _Isabella._

Bella looked around her as she held the fragile bauble in her hands. Everywhere she looked she saw old and new friends, people that really cared about her. They had cared enough to drive out to see her. Even Mr. and Mrs. Cope had come out in the cold winter afternoon.

Edward looked at Bella as he hung over the balustrade to fasten the last of the pine branches to the wooden railing.

Her eyes met his and he immediately could see that she was a little teary; his raised eyebrow and silent question immediate.

Bella shook her head slightly. She was fine – just overcome with emotion, her eyes told him.

Edward finished what he was doing and when his eyes caught sight of something he quickly made his way down the stairs.

"Hey!" Bree protested.

"Oh hush Shorty! You have no business putting these up anyway! You are far too young and I'm telling Em!" he teased before he gave Riley a narrowed glare.

Riley swallowed loudly and he scooted behind Bree, even though he was taller.

Edward snorted but Bree stamped her foot, "Edward! I'm telling mom! Mom, Edward is scaring Riley again!"

As Edward walked past Pastor Craig, he heard him chuckle, "Nicely done, Edward" he said.

"That's what I thought as well! I've got to keep him on his toes!"

Edward walked up behind the sofa where Bella had been stationed all day. In spite of her protests, she had not been allowed to move, other than to go the bathroom.

"Hey, love, are you alright?"

Bella turned with a smile, "Are you scaring Riley again? I heard Brianna shouting again. You boys have to cut her some slack."

Edward chuckled, "Can't help it! Hey, I want to show you something, come with me."

Bella's eyes widened dramatically, "You mean that I can actually get off this sofa and use my own two legs to move? Really?"

Edward hopped over the back of the sofa, after he had checked that his mother around to reprimand him, and rolled his eyes at Bella, "Just come with me, smart ass,"

Bella narrowed her eyes at the mischievous gleam in Edward's bright green gaze. "That's Miss Smart Ass to you!"

"Trust me," he whispered and held out his hand.

Bella sighed she knew that they were not really talking about her trusting him enough to go with him.

Edward waiting patiently as he watched Bella working out just what he was asking her. She looked from his outstretched hand to his face and her large expressive eyes held traces of the anguish and hurt that his leaving had caused.

Edward hated himself for what he had done to her – to their relationship.

"Please trust me, Isabella; I won't ever leave you again. Not until you ask me to go. I've learned my lesson and as much as I can try and justify my actions, there is no excuse for what I did to you. You were my friend and someone that I care about very much and I just walked away instead of facing you and talking to you first. That won't ever happen again. I'm here for you, in any capacity that you want me, even," he closed his eyes for a moment, contemplating the fact that she may not want him as anything more than a friend. _Could he live with that? Did he love her enough to let her go?_

He opened his eyes again and took a deep breath, "Even if you want nothing more than friendship, Isabella. I will accept whatever role you want me to play in your life."

Bella bit her bottom lip as she thought about the only answer that she could give him truthfully, "I want to trust you, but I'm scared."

Edward nodded and began to stand up, but Bella stopped him with her next words, "But I trust you enough to come with you. Where are we going?" she said teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Edward let out a sigh of relief. All was not lost. He held out his hand again and this time Bella put her small fingers into his palm. His mouth curved into the crooked smile that Bella loved so much.

"You'll see…" he said as he stood up and walked through the house, past everyone that was in the family room, the hall and the dining room, finishing up the decorations while Esme had sneakily arranged for all the children to make paper chains in the den so that they were occupied and helping at the same time.

Edward led Bella past Jasper and Emmett who were hanging fairy lights on the staircase. He ignored their raised eyebrows. Bella shrugged her shoulders as she followed Edward upstairs. He walked around the open stairwell and opened a door.

The room was dark, but the curtains were open. Bella could see a double bed in the middle of the room.

"This is my room." Edward's voice broke the silence.

"Um - okay. So is this what you wanted to show me?" Bella asked confused. She couldn't see anything in the darkened room.

Edward chuckled, "No, well, yes, just look up."

Bella looked up and let out a bark of embarrassed laughter, "Is that?"

Edward nodded, "Yep, this is mistletoe, love. Fresh and real mistletoe! Want to try it out?" he said with a gleam in his eyes.

Bella giggled as she felt her face heat up.

"Well, you did promise…" she whispered.

"I did…"

Bella's hands trailed up Edward's chest until they curled around his neck as she stepped closer.

"Please kiss me, Edward Cullen." she whispered.

Edward let out a low groan as his hands pulled her even closer and he leaned down.

His lips brushed against her softly. Once. Twice. Bella's hands pulled on his neck and with a muffled moan, Edward deepened the kiss by pressing his lips against hers more firmly, his tongue snaked out and he tasted her lips for the second time. She was like a drug to him and he knew that he would never get enough of kissing and tasting Bella.

Bella's mouth opened, inviting him inside and Edward could not resist taking her up on the offer. His tongue teased and taunted hers, playing the age old game of domination, which Bella gladly let him win.

Bella's head was spinning and her heart was pounding, after so many months of wanting him, Edward Cullen was kissing her!

Her lungs were bursting when Bella realized that she had forgotten to breathe and she wasn't sure if the spots in front of her closed eyes were from lack of oxygen or from excitement!

Edward lifted his lips and pressed his forehead to Bella's as they panted softly.

"Hmmm, I could get used to that…" he said.

Bella giggled as her cheeks grew warm, "Me too..."

He stepped back so that he could look into her face, "I meant what I said earlier, Bella. Whatever you want, we will move at your pace, okay?"

"What do you want, Edward?" Bella asked with a rush of courage.

Edward ran a hand through his hair, "Look Bella – we just need to take this slowly."

Bella huffed, more than a little frustrated with him. She didn't want him pulling back every time they moved forwards. If he wasn't going to make a move, then it was going to be up to her.

"Fine, Edward, at least we are friends, right?" she said with a falsely bright smile.

Edward felt a flash of disappointment, which he pushed down firmly. This was what he wanted, he reminded himself. He wanted Bella to expand her world and spread her wings.

He nodded, "That's fine. Come on, mom will be wondering where we are, that's if Jasper and Emmett didn't run and tell her already."

Bella nodded. She knew that this wasn't what he wanted, not really, and she wasn't even sure that it was going to be enough for her, but it was all that she was willing to give him at that moment. "There they are! Come on you two, we are about to turn the lights on!" Alice's voice called to them.

Edward squeezed the small hand in his; he was going to show Bella Swan that he was a man who could be trusted.

_He was going to woo her._

**A/N: Okay, well tell me what you think?**

**Hey - I need to pimp an awesome story by one of my good friends - it's called His Cimmerian View by WeeKittyAndTAT on THE WRITERS COFFEE SHOP - it's fantastic!**

**Love till next week,**

**Michele**


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 16 – **_

_**As they reached the top of the stairs, Bella put her hand into Edward's. He looked down at her surprised at the move, "Friends?" she asked nervously.**_

_**Edward smiled reassuringly, "Friends."**_

_**Bella nodded. She knew that this wasn't what he wanted, not really, but it was all she could give him for now.**_

"_**There they are! Come on you two, we are about to turn the lights on!" Alice's voice called to them.**_

_**Edward squeezed the small hand in his; he was going to show Bella Swan that he was a man who could be trusted.**_

_**He was going to woo her.**_

**CHAPTER 17 – FIRST DATES AND ICE SKATES**

The days leading up to Christmas were busy. After Bella had finally convinced Carlisle that she was fit to be up and about, she had gone back to helping Esme and Alice in the shops. The pre-Christmas rush was in full swing with many visitors coming to Hope Springs and the surrounding area for a mini vacation.

Of course the townspeople put on a great show. The main street was festooned with colored lights and a giant Christmas tree stood in the town square. The gazebo was adorned with lights and in spite of the snow; the Hope Springs Actors Guild set up their live nativity scene inside the gazebo in the square. Of course, Randall got involved in the production, which just added to the midday traffic three days before Christmas, when he decided to add live animals to the scene. Bella and half of Hope Springs watched in amusement as three chickens, two goats and a cow ran down Main Street as they were chased by Russell dressed as an elf.

Bella turned from the window of Esme's shop and grinned at Makenna, "An elf? I mean, I don't know my bible all that well, but I'm pretty sure that there were shepherds, wise men and animals, but an elf?"

Makenna grinned as she finished serving a customer, "Apparently the costume hire shop over in Woodstock ran out of shepherd's costumes and Russell took creative license…"

Bella snorted and shook her hair over her shoulders as she went back to stocking the shelves with cranberry preserve.

"Bella, sweetie, do we have any more cranberry sauce in the back? Brady wants to know if they must send more." Esme asked as she stepped out of her office.

"He can send as much as he's got, May; Mack sold the last three jars now, and ask him what happened to the Apple-nut sauce that he promised me? I promised Sam another case of it this morning." Bella said without missing a beat.

Esme smiled, "Well look at you, Miss Entrepreneur, making all these deals! Are you sure that you want be a school teacher, Bells? I think that you would be a great partner in the shop."

Bella looked up as she rolled her eyes, "Are you going to go on about retiring again? Please! That will be the day, and I'm very happy to teach rugrats thank you very much!"

Esme grinned and walked back into her office.

Just then, the door opened again and Bella heard the sweetest sound in the world, "My Belle! Wotcha doing? You want to come to lunch?" She looked up in time to see the sweet smile of Brady's as he ran to where she was.

"No running Brady; Mom said!" Chelsea said in her grown up voice as she followed Brady inside and closed the front door. Bella reached around Brady and hugged the little girl, "Hey Bells, are you coming to lunch with us?" She said with a smile.

Brady crossed his arms with a frown, "I's did ask her, Chelsea! Belle is my girl!" he said with a pout.

Bella bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. She knelt next to Brady and put her arm around his shoulders, "Well, honey, I'm your friend but I'm also Chelsea's friend, right?" Brady glared at his sister briefly before he huffed and nodded.

Bella smiled at him as she brushed his thick blonde hair under his multicolored beanie.

"Okay, well, I'm not sure if I can go to lunch, because we are really busy here. Why don't you go and ask May-May? Perhaps she will go to lunch with you." Bella said gently.

The door opened again and Jasper stepped into the store looking harassed, "Brady! Chels – what did I say about running away from me? There are animals loose on the street and you could get hurt – oh! Hello Bella, I see that they found you."

Bella smiled as she finished putting the last jars onto the shelf and stood up, stacking the wooden crates so that they could go back to the canning plant.

"Hi Jasper, are you on 'kid watch' today?" Bella asked as Brady took one of the crates from her and without asking, he carried it to the back, greeting Makenna on the way.

Jasper shook his head as he stared at Brady's retreating form, "He has been bugging me all morning to come and see 'my Belle in da shops'! Sorry if he is a pain, Bells."

Bella shook her head and shared a smile with her friend, "Oh come on Jas, you know that I love that kid! How come you aren't working today?"

"Alice is so busy and Angela wasn't feeling well this morning, so Alice is a little short staffed. Here let me take that for you. Eric should have everything under control if he can get all of those damn animals rounded up! One of these days I'm going to arrest Randall for being a public nuisance, as true as God, I will!" He said as he reached out and took the empty crates from Bella and he followed Brady to the storage area.

Bella laughed and she looked out of the window in time to see Randall being chased down the street, holding a bunch of carrots and one wildly flapping chicken while the two goats gave chase.

Eventually Brady, Jasper, and Chelsea said goodbye before they went to lunch and did the last of their Christmas shopping in Hartford that afternoon. Apparently Jasper and Emmett were taking the children to meet Father Christmas later that day.

Bella checked that the shelves that she had been restocking were tidy before she followed Jasper to the back of the store.

"Are you ready to go to lunch, Mack? I don't mind filling in for you while you go." Bella said as she stood next to the front desk.

Makenna grimaced, "I don't mind staying Bella. Don't you need to rest?"

Bella rolled her eyes and she glared at her friend, "For the last time – stop fussing over me! I am fine and none of this was yours or Alastair fault! Please Mack, don't make me get violent. Now, go to lunch! You can bring me back one of my 'free' lime milkshakes from the Purple Cow, if you like."

Bella had softened the harshness of her words when she saw that Makenna was only being her usual sweet self. It wasn't her fault that Bella was feeling a little claustrophobic. Bella realized that part of being in a family meant that you had to let others fuss over you when you were sick.

Makenna nodded as she moved to put her hat, scarf and gloves on before she pulled her thick woolen coat on before she ventured outside and Bella smiled up at the next customer.

In spite of the fact that Esme and Alice were employing a couple of the teenage girls from town each, they were still overrun and by the time that six o'clock came around, Bella was more than ready to go home and put her feet up for the evening.

Bella was the last to leave as Esme and Carlisle had been invited to a formal Christmas party over on the Volturi Diary Farm that apparently was the talk of the town all year long. Bella was told that to receive an invitation from the Volturi's was considered quite an honor.

She drove home and parked in the garage. She closed the garage door quickly and made her way upstairs to her apartment. It was unusual to see the house dark, with only a couple of lights burning on the porch and in the front hall.

After she turned the lights on and noticed with relief that Esme had turned the thermostat up before they had left, Bella kicked off her boots and took off her thick out layers of clothing, until she was wearing her socks, jeans and a couple of long-sleeved tops.

Bella put the kettle on before she pulled one of the cookbooks that Edward had given her off the shelf and she paged through it as she waited for the water to boil. After she poured herself a cup of tea, Bella checked the ingredients in her pantry and fridge and decided to make _Chicken Parmigiana_ for her dinner.

Bella had been puzzled by Edward's housewarming gift of cooking lessons; okay, she reasoned that she _had almost burnt his kitchen down_, but there were extenuating circumstances – she had never worked on a stove that worked properly before.

The Rawlings stove had only had half an element in their stove that worked and one plate, which was either low or high, so Edward's state of the art stove, with an eyelevel hob was puzzling.

But once Bella had set aside her pride, she had realized that his gift was a blessing. She had so much fun taking the various classes and learning about the different cultures surrounding the food that she made.

Bella prepared the chicken and set water to boil while she quickly changed into yoga pants and a long thermal top with thick socks on her feet. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun before she turned the television on. She looked at Roscoe's bed in the corner of the room and sighed.

She missed her furry friend. She loved having him to talk to in the evenings and even though, most of the time he didn't respond much besides wiggling his eyebrows or a soft 'huff' every now and again; he listened to her prattling on and he was a warm body to cuddle up to when they watched television together.

Apart from a couple of phone calls, Edward had also been scarce and Bella wondered if that was a trend in the 'single Cullen men's household'. She knew that Carlisle was supposed to be on leave as his temporary replacement had arrived early on the previous Monday, but Hope Springs had been struck with a cold and flu epidemic that was keeping all three men busy, with only a few hurried phone calls at the end of each day.

Embry and Lauren had even extended their store hours to accommodate the trail of late night shoppers for tissues, cold medication and the other few over the counter drugs that they carried in the store and they were talking about extending their business to include a drug store within the following year.

Bella had begun the habit of eating at her small dining room table even though it was mostly 'dinner for one'. She loved to sit at the bay window and she would either read, or watch television while she ate. She decided not to do any school reading and she tuned into one of her favorite shows, CSI Miami.

After the show, Bella washed her dishes and poured herself a glass of juice. She curled up on the sofa and pulled out the book that she had promised Carlisle that she would read. She hadn't done any recreational reading since before she had gone to college. All of her time had been taken up with schoolwork and catching up as quickly as she could.

Bella knew that she was only a few credits short of where she was supposed to be, but she felt driven to get as many credits as she could. She hadn't told anyone, but she had spoken with her advisor who was so impressed with the progress that Bella had made that she had made the recommendation to the department head of the Department of Education for her to attend summer school so that she could complete the school requirement of the first year General Education Core Curriculum that every student with fewer than fifteen credits was required to take at Johnson College.

Bella didn't want anything to stand in her way of receiving her double Major diploma. She had decided to major in Elementary Education and she still had to make her decision for her second major, but after a meeting with her advisor and after reviewing her grades, Bella was almost sure that she was going to choose English as her second major. She loved working with young children and she had already spoken to the principle of Hope Springs Elementary, who was a regular customer at Esme and Alice's shops regarding a student teaching position in the future.

Just before she went to bed, Bella turned out the lights in her living room and walked into her vintage bathroom. She ignored the beautiful stand-alone bathtub and turned on the shower on before she stripped her clothes off.

As the warm water ran over her body, Bella thought back to the kiss that she and Edward had shared. It seemed as if that kiss was all that she thought about when she was alone.

Her eyes shot open when she emanated a loud moan as the thought of how his raspy tongue had dueled with hers.

Bella leaned back against the shower wall as she allowed the thought of that contact to take route in her imagination…

_Edward's hard but gentle hands gripped her hips and dragged her forward so that her breast were pressed against his naked chest. She could feel the soft down of his chest hair as her hands snaked up his body to grip his broad shoulders._

"_Isabella…" her name was gasped as Edward's mouth pulled away from hers only to slide across her jaw. Bella's head tipped back to give him access to her neck._

"_Edward, please…fuck, please don't tease me…"_

"_Tell me what you want, love."_

"_Touch me…"_

"_Here?" his hands moved up to mould over her aching breasts._

"_Fuck, yes!"_

"_Here?"_

_He kept one hand on her breasts, pinching her nipple lightly between his forefinger and thumb. Bella groaned as she arched her back and offered herself to him._

_His mouth dropped as he lapped the water from her skin. Down, down until his lips settled over a rock hard little nipple and he pulled it hard into his mouth._

Bella was panting as her fingers followed the movement of her fantasy. One hand was relentless as it pinched and twisted first one nipple, then the next. Her other hand hovered over the bare lips of her aching pussy.

Bella bit her bottom lip as she stretched one finger out and she flicked the small swollen berry that nestled between her lower lips.

The jolt of electricity that shot through her body was enough to cause Bella to jump.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea." She muttered to herself as she straightened up and pulled her sponge from its holder.

Bella lathered her sponge up with the fabulous body wash that Alice had first bought her when she was staying with Edward and she had been hooked on it ever since.

She had actually begun using the entire range of products, from the shampoo and conditioner to the body wash, body lotion. She loved the smell of fruits, spices and an array of flowers. Alice told her that everyone in the family used Crabtree and Apple ® products.

Bella tried to be as impersonal as possible as she dragged the slightly abrasive sponge over her breasts, but the friction was heady and Bella whimpered as she forced herself to move her hand away from the area.

She washed her stomach and hips and quickly she reached down to wash her aching lower region.

The roughness reminded Bella of Edward's tongue or his day old beard growth that was sexy as fuck and as the sponge touched her clit she felt her hips buck into her hand.

"_Fuck! Oh my God! Oh! Edwwwwaaaard_…" Bella shouted as sharp jolts shot through her, beginning at her nipples and tugging into her pussy, making her grind her hips into her hand.

Bella thought that she heard what sounded like Edward's voice, but she was so far gone that she ignored it.

_I'm so crazy that I'm hearing his voice…_

For long moments Bella stood under the cooling water as she gasped for breath and her heart pounded.

The pounding sounded so loud that Bella wondered if she was having a heart attack but when she heard the sound again, she realized that it was coming from her front door.

"FUCK! HANG ON! I'M COMING!" Bella screamed as she turned the water off and grabbed the towels from the warm rack. She giggled wildly at her poor choice of words. Bella could feel her face burning with embarrassment and shame at the thought that Esme or someone else could have heard her getting off in the bathroom.

Because she lived alone, she never thought about closing doors between the rooms.

She quickly wound one around her hair, turban style as she wrapped the towel around her body and tucked it in over her breasts.

She slipped slightly on the now wet floor as she ran into the front room.

Bella slid to a standstill as she stared at Edward who was standing in her dark living room. His face was in shadow, but it was easy to see the light from her hallway bouncing off his bronze hair.

"Fuck! Edward! Wha… – um, you… I … what…" Bella's mouth snapped shut at the garbled nonsense that she was sprouting.

Edward moved forward and when Bella saw his face she knew that he had heard her and that he knew just what she had been doing.

Bella was mortified. She could feel herself begin to shake.

Edward's face was impassive and blank but it was his eyes that looked stormy and black that made Bella feel hot and fuzzy all over.

Edward looked dashing and handsome in his black suite with the crisp white shirt under it. His black bowtie had been untied and it hung around his neck as he had opened the top two buttons of his shirt. He wore a black overcoat over his suite and Bella had never seen a more handsome man. It was obvious that he had just come from the party.

The rush of pure lust that she felt at that moment scared her more than anything. She wanted to drop the towel and press her naked body against his.

A low moan erupted from her lips and she gasped as she clamped a hand over her mouth. Her large lust-filled, frightened eyes looked up at Edward's predatory glare and she took one step backwards.

"Isabella, I…" his voice was husky and thick. Edward felt as if he couldn't move or swallow if he tried.

Bella shook her head as her eyes filled with sudden tears, "Just go. Please. I am so embarrassed right now, please Edward, _please, just go_! If you have any feelings for me then go home. _Now_." Her voice shook with the anguish that she was feeling.

It was the lone tear that fell from her dark eyelash that made Edward's heart ache a little. He was suddenly released from his stupor and he took a step back from her.

"I'll leave, for now. I will talk to you in the morning Bella."

Bella was so tempted to call him back as he turned away from her. He had looked so sad and rejected.

He stopped as he opened her front door and turned to face her, "Lock your front door, Isabella. Good night."

The door closed and Bella heard his feet on the steps. A few moments later, she heard his truck drive down the driveway. Bella almost fell onto the front door as she locked it and she slid the deadbolt into place just for good measure.

Bella realized that she was cold and she pulled off her towels and in a rare act of temper, Bella threw them onto the bathroom floor as she strode into her room.

Suddenly she was angry. Angry and embarrassed! Angry, embarrassed and so fucking sexually frustrated that for the first time, Bella wished that she had gone to the sex shop with her two college friends, when they had gone a few weeks before!

"FUCK! Jasper's always telling me to 'analyze my feelings', well, Doctor Cullen, analyze this! I want to fuck your brother six ways from Sunday and I just made myself have a fucking orgasm while he was standing ten feet away from me! What do you think now?" Bella ranted as she paced across her bedroom naked.

Alice and Jasper sat in their dark car in front of his parents home with their mouths slightly open as they watched Bella waving her arms about, obviously upset over something, and she was stark naked.

Thankfully there was not a full frontal view, but the profile view of her naked torso was enough.

Alice cleared her throat, "Was she naked when Edward came barreling out of the garage?" She asked quietly.

Jasper pursed his lips, "I don't think so. Her hair is wet so it looks like she just got out of the shower or bath or something."

"You don't think Edward tried anything do you?" Alice asked hesitantly.

Jasper frowned and he looked at his wife, "You mean like _forced himself_ on her?" he couldn't keep the hurt tone out of his voice. He was shocked that Alice would ever think that about Edward of all people.

"No! Of course not! Edward would never do _that_! But maybe he tried to kiss her or something?" Alice quickly explained. Jasper shook his head, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Bella briefly with a small smirk on his face.

"Well then why is she so upset?" Alice huffed.

"Maybe that's the problem – maybe he _didn't_ try anything…" Jasper said.

Alice looked at him for a moment blankly before her jaw dropped, "Ooooh! Now I get it…" she said with raised eyebrows and Jasper smirked and nodded.

Just then Bella turned away from the window and the next thing they heard was what Carlisle called Bree's _'angry chick music' _blasting from her bedroom.

Jasper rolled his eyes, "Why is Pink every woman's 'go to girl' when it comes to temper tantrums?" he asked rhetorically. "Just when I forget that she is actually a teenager, she does something like this to remind me."

He put his hand on Alice's leg, "Baby, you need to go up and talk to her. It looks like she needs a friend and I somehow don't think that this is something that she wants to talk to 'Edward's brother' about. I'll go in and have a nightcap with dad while you talk to her and for God's sake get her to close her curtains or put some clothes on before Emmett and Rose arrive. He won't let her live this down if he sees her!"

Alice agreed and she pulled her floor-length cream coat around her as he quickly made her way into the garage and up the stairs. She knocked on the front door loudly and waited.

Before long she heard the music go softer and then there were angry footsteps before the door rattled and Alice bit back a chuckle as she heard Bella cuss as she jostled with the door.

"_Fucking, stupid, asshole door!_ Open you little fucker! There! Edward, what the f…" Bella growled.

Suddenly the door flew open and Bella stumbled when she saw Alice standing on her doorstep, wearing a floor length evening dress that was partially covered by a breathtaking full length coat.

"Alice! What are you doing here?" Bella was wrapped in a soft wool throw.

Alice raised an eyebrow as she walked into the apartment without waiting to be invited inside.

Alice unbuttoned her lined crushed velvet coat and she threw it over the back of the sofa.

"Why don't you put some clothes on and dry your hair while I make us each a pot of some of that Chi Tea that mom put in your pantry last week." She didn't wait for an answer but walked over to the kettle and filled it with water.

Alice's voice rang out as Bella was about to go into her bedroom.

"Um, Bella?" she said with a trace of mischief that should have warned Bella.

Bella turned, "Yeah?"

"You may want to close your curtains, sweetie, before you drop that blanket. Em and Rose are due to arrive any minute." Alice said as she winked at Bella.

"_Fuck!_ Are you telling me… you...? Jasper… FUCK! Can I not catch a fucking break? Like _EVER?" _Bella growled as her face turned scarlet. She could feel her stomach heave as she thought about Jasper seeing her naked. Bella spun around and bolted into her room and slammed the door.

She promptly burst into tears as she sank onto her bed pulling the throw over her head.

_Fuck! I am destined to live a life of humiliation. Alone and miserable. _

_And horny, so fucking horny! All. The. Time!_

"Oh come on Bells, it's not that bad to be horny, _sweet cheeks_, it's quite normal, you know." Alice's voice said as Bella felt her climb onto the bed as she began to rub Bella's shoulder.

_Fuck, now I'm talking to myself out loud?_ Bella thought as she buried her head deeper into her pill and she may have screamed a little.

"You are such a drama queen! I talk to myself all the time. I answer myself as well. I think it's the 'mother's curse' or something. You should ask May-May. After having her brood, I'm surprised that she's not barking mad!" Alice prattled on as if it was not unusual for Bella to be curled into a ball naked, under a blanket, while her adopted sister-in-law lay next to her talking as if nothing was wrong.

Bella tried to hang onto her anger but Alice heard the tiny snort of laughter from under the blanket and Alice gently pried it away from Bella's face. The two woman stared at each other for a moment before Alice quipped, "You have a fuck-hot body, Bells, but you need to start wearing more than your birthday suite or shut the fucking curtains, because you are going to give Carlisle, Emmett or poor Paul or Sam a fucking heart attack if they glance up at your widow and see you shaking those gorgeous tits of yours!"

And then Bella was laughing. It felt so good to laugh instead of worry about what people were thinking of her. She flipped onto her back and looked at her friend, "Alice, I fucked up so badly tonight." She whispered.

Bella pushed her damp hair out of her eyes and sat up. Alice raised her eyebrows, "Not bad for the 'wild woman of the marsh' look. Get dressed and I'll dry your hair while you tell me all about it, okay?"

Bella nodded, "Thanks Alice. Where is Jasper? Washing his eyes out with bleach?"

Alice grinned at her, "Bells, this is Jasper, not Emmett we are talking about; so don't worry about it. He is at the house having a drink with Carlisle. Now I will be right back, so get dressed!"

Bella put on a pair of flannel pajamas that she had bought during her shopping spree before she started college of winter. She loved them so much that she had bought three pairs as well as a couple of pairs of the softest cotton from a great shop at the Town Mall in Burlington, called _Victoria's Secret _that Alice and Rosalie insisted that she shop at. She hadn't been sorry although she was shocked that she had spent so much money on clothes whereas before she was lucky if she bought a pair of panties in a year! She had bought a ton of the most comfortable boy-shorts, bras and French cut panties from them as well as socks, tights, yoga pants, T-shirts and the cutest pair of slippers to go with her pajamas.

She had felt so guilty after the shopping trip that Jasper had to talk her down from a full blown panic attack as Esme raced to get them from Burlington to his office. In the end, Jasper had driven out to meet them around the half way point and Bella had driven back with Jasper and for the next hour she had found reason for her unnecessary guilt and she had also formulated a way to 'absolve' herself and for the next few Sundays Bella had found herself at the Soup Kitchen in Woodstock, where she would help to cook and prepare dinner before she drove back to school.

The mall in Burlington had become Bella's favorite place to shop if she felt the need to get away from school for the afternoon.

Bella sat at the little dining table after Alice had blow dried her hair into a shining wave. Alice brought their mugs to the table and sat down next to her.

"Now, tell _Aunty Alice_ what happened? It can't be that bad…"

Bella rubbed her forehead as she thought back to her confrontation with Edward earlier and her cheeks began to burn once more.

Finally she looked at Alice, "Edward was here earlier…"

Alice nodded, "I know, we saw him. We left the party just after him and he told us that he was headed here to see you. We had just pulled up when he came racing out of the garage like a bat out of hell and jumped into his car. Did you have a fight?"

Bella shook her head, "No, well not exactly. You see, um, fuck this is so embarrassing…" Bella's voice trailed off. She took a deep breath and began to tell Alice what had happened that evening.

Half way through her story, Rosalie knocked on the door and after a nod from Bella; Alice filled Rose in on the evening's events.

Bella raced through the rest of the story, up to the point where she kicked Edward out.

Neither woman had said a word to interrupt Bella but now they looked at each other before they turned to her.

"… and that's when you came banging on my door. So that's what happened. Edward now knows that I am a horny slut, who screams his name and he knows that I have no dignity left when it comes to him." She put her head on the table and covered it with her arms.

"I should just move far away, so that I can save him the humiliation of seeing me again!" She groaned.

Rosalie and Alice were grinning at each other but tried to hide it when Bella sat up suddenly.

"What are you two laughing at? Are you two laughing at me?" Bella growled.

Rosalie held up her hand, "Calm down there tiger! Jeesh Bella, you are a prickly little thing! Now just calm down and shut up for a second, okay?"

Bella gave a terse nod and crossed her arms over her hands.

"Good, now, Bella there is nothing wrong with what you did. Masturbating is completely natural and normal. You are not a slut or a whore or anything like that, you have needs just like anyone else, and sometimes you need to take yourself 'in hand' as it were." Rosalie explained in a calm voice. When she made the 'in hand' comment Alice snorted and she turned her laser blue eyes on her sister.

"Mary Alice Cullen, I will whip your ass if you embarrass Bella any further! Now do you have any constructional comment to make or as you going to behave worse than Brianna?" Rosalie said icily.

Alice nodded, "Oh stop being such a 'big sister' Rosie!" she stuck out her tongue before she turned to Bella, "You know Bells, the only thing that you need to do differently, is if you need some 'private time', then you need to lock your doors and make sure that your curtains are closed."

Bella nodded and hung her head.

"Hey Bells?" Bella looked up.

Alice smiled gently at her, "Its not easy being a young woman with feelings and emotions all over the place. Especially when you and Edward haven't gone very far. You haven't, have you?"

Bella shook her head quickly with a frown, "No! Not even to second base!"

Alice and Rosalie nodded at each other, "Aaagh well, that's the problem then! You are just horny!" Rosalie said decisively.

Bella opened her mouth, closed it and then she opened it again, "What do you mean 'just horny?' Do you have any idea how uncomfortable it is? Being this horny all the time?" Bella moaned.

Rosalie and Alice nodded and chuckled, "Yes! Of course we do! We didn't sleep with Jasper and Emmett from the first time we dated them, you know!" Rosalie said. Alice rolled her eyes and muttered, "Speak for yourself."

"Excuse my sister, the hussy, Bella. But what we were saying is true. It's natural to be turned on by Edward. And it is a good thing, after what you've been through. Wanting to take your relationship to the next level is normal, but that doesn't mean to say that it's a good idea to just jump into bed or into his arms!" Rosalie said firmly.

Bella frowned, "Now you sound like Edward! He also wants to take it slow and I'm over slow."

Alice shook her head, "Bella, Rosie and I love Edward. He is a wonderful man. He is kind and loving. He is wonderful with our children and he is a great friend to have in your corner, but to put it bluntly; Edward fucked up. When he left you, he fucked up big time. Now, one of the reasons that he left was that he had a problem with his control issues. As an addict, Edward used drugs to feel in control. With you he realized that he can't control everything and he is trying to do things the right way this time. He knows that you both need to build a solid foundation for your relationship to work and he's right but you also have a say in this relationship."

Bella had never seen Alice looking so serious.

"You have obstacles in your way – first of all you are eighteen and in college. Do you think that Edward doesn't worry about the fact that you may want to 'discover yourself' and see what or who is out there? Of course he does! We all went to college, honey; we all know what it's like! The keggers, the fooling around, the drama, booze and partying. We all did it! Now, that's not a bad thing, but if you have a twenty-eight year old boyfriend waiting for you at home – what are you going to do? Are you going to blow off every invitation? Are you not going to have friends? Are you going to blow your entire college life away, while you race home to be with Edward every weekend?"

Bella was crushed. The way Alice spoke, Bella didn't think that they had a chance of making it.

Bella got up from the table and stared blindly out of the window. She would have to let Edward go. There was no way that he would wait for her.

For a moment she was lost, but then a small voice made itself heard – what _if there was another way? What if he did wait for her… what if…?_

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the hissed conversation taking place.

"Why did you say that to her?" Rosalie was furious.

Alice clicked her tongue, "Why not? Someone had to tell her. She has to figure this out for herself, Rose. She has some decisions to make and this is the only way for her to do that, she needs to have all the facts…"

"I know that Alice, but you made it sound so pointless! Fuck, being married to Jasper hasn't rubbed off on you at all has it?"

Alice glared at her sister, "You are such a bitch!"

Rosalie got up from the table, "I know, but you are an ass! And I'm telling Mom and Dad!" she smirked.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Tattletale! Well, if you are so good, then you talk to her!"

Rosalie moved to stand next to Bella, "Bella, Alice didn't mean…"

Bella turned around and looked from her to Alice and back, "Yes she did. She was right to point all of that out to me. But here's the thing: I have _never_ been eighteen. I have never been a teenager or a kid. I lost that when my father died and I was shoved into a system that forgot about me. I know that I have a lot to learn about having a family and living in a community, but I know what it feels like to not be loved or wanted and now that I know what it feels like to be loved and wanted and to have a home and family, I am not prepared to let that go for some mindless 'college experience'."

Her brown eyes hardened with determination, "I want Edward. I love him; I think, no, I know that I do. It's that simple. I know that we have some issues to work out and I know that we should go slowly and I am probably being unreasonable but I just want more, you know? Because I want him in my life forever! I know that you think that I'm too young, Alice, but he is it for me. I don't want to date other guys, or 'shop around.' I've seen the girls at college, how they get distracted from their schoolwork by guys. I've seen the booze and drugs on campus – I'm not stupid or naive."

Her eyes flashed briefly and Alice looked contrite, "I've been to school rallies and been hit on by guys, but I'm not interested in all that. I don't want any of that. I want Edward, plain and simple and I will do whatever it takes to have him."

Bella sighed and she smiled at her two friends, "I know that you mean well, and you were right to bring that up, but please believe me when I say that I have made up my mind. I just have to learn to go slow and take lots of cold showers! Now, if you can tell me how I can make Edward forget that he walked in on me – um, doing stuff in the shower, then by all means go ahead, I'm all ears!"

The tension that had fallen around them dissipated as they began to laugh. Alice was clutching her stomach as she wiped tears off her cheeks and Bella found it so funny to see Alice and Rosalie dressed up in their expensive evening dresses and fine jewelry rolling around cackling like witches.

Rose was still sniggering when she attempted to speak, "Oh my God, the images of that will live with me for a long time, Bells!" Alice snorted and nodded, "That's for sure!"

Rosalie looked at Alice with a smirk, "You know, I think that we need to take young Isabella here, shopping at In-X-eSS, don't you?"

Alice's eyes lit up, "Oh yeah! That's a great idea! We should totally go – after Christmas?"

Rosalie nodded, "Em and Jasper will be grateful!"

Bella frowned, "What the hell is In-X-eSS?" She didn't like the sound of this conversation.

Rosalie patted her hand, "It is where all self sufficient women go, sweetie, don't you worry, Alice and I will take care of you. Hey, I wonder if Esme would like to go."

Alice's eyes darted from Rosalie to Bella and back; "I don't think that we should freak Bella out too much, Rose. Let's just take it slow. It can just be the three of us the first time."

Rosalie nodded, "Good idea." She turned to Bella, "I will check on the date and call you, okay?"

Bella nodded hesitantly, "Okay?"

Alice smiled at Bella, "Anyway, back to Edward; you agreed to talk to him tomorrow, correct?"

Bella nodded, "Well then, just talk to him. Tell him that you should have locked your door and that you are sorry if you embarrassed him and then leave it at that. Edward probably spanks the monkey a few times a day and he will understand, honey." Alice said with a smirk.

Just then there was a soft knock at the door and Jasper walked in, followed by Emmett. Bella could see that they had both heard the last part of Rosalie's sentence and they were too curious not to say something, and she was right.

"Bella, did Edward rub one out in front of you? I'll kick his ass if he did!" Emmett spat out.

Bella's cheeks began to burn as she shook her head; "NO! It wasn't like that! He… I… fuck!" Bella spluttered.

The brothers frowned as they stared at her as they replayed the end of Rosalie's words in their heads.

And then the penny dropped and they both stared at her like deers caught in the headlights.

"Oh" Emmett squeaked.

Jasper looked as if he was ill.

Bella blushed furiously.

Alice and Rosalie bit their cheeks trying not to laugh.

By silent, tacit agreement, Alice and Rosalie gathered their coats and their husbands and Rosalie turned to Bella to tell her that they would 'go shopping' and they quickly said goodbye and led their still silent husbands out of the apartment.

Bella locked the door and sagged against it.

She was realizing that there were no secrets in a family. She cleaned up the kitchen and looked at the clock.

It was almost midnight, so it was too late to call Edward, but Bella was determined not to have any further miscommunication between them.

She needed to declare her intentions to Edward, she thought as she snuggled under her duvet that night.

=====HS=====

The next morning was Christmas eve and as was tradition most of the shops in the town of Hope Springs closed early so that everyone could be at home with their families. There was an ice skating party at Dorset Common planned for the afternoon that would go on until late, and from there most families would either go home to dinner or they would go to one of the church services that was scheduled to be held that night.

By eleven o'clock Esme ushered the last customer out of the door as Makenna quickly cashed up and Bella restocked the shelves and quickly went next door to help Alice and Angela close up the shop.

After that Esme and Alice gave each of their staff a gift basket filled with expensive and luxurious eats, toiletries, and a healthy bonus check. Bella was shocked when she received double her monthly earnings as well as a lovely picnic basket filled with non perishable jars, tins and goodies from Esme, as well as a picnic blanket from Alice.

"You guys didn't have to do this! I'm hardly ever here anymore!" she protested.

Esme waved her protests off, "Bells, you keep our stock and inventory running like a well oiled machine! The productivity over at the canning and bottling plant has increased by twenty percent because there is no chopping and changing around. You are amazing Bella. You have great organizational skills and we are all grateful for your help." Esme said firmly.

Alice nodded and continued where Esme left off, "Even though you dress like you have no fashion sense sometimes, you have helped me to really organize my shop and my sales have increased by almost fifteen percent purely because I can actually find stuff! I've had time to make more of my own designs and my clothes and linens are selling so well that I'm really thinking of expanding my home linens line."

Bella blushed with pleasure and pride. "Thank you."

Esme looked over her shoulder and smiled as Bella felt an odd tingle down her spine, "Well, Alice and I will just finish up, can you let yourself out?" Esme said quickly.

Bella frowned, "Um, sure, but…"

"Hi."

Bella swung around.

Edward was standing just inside the door of his mother's shop, looking more nervous than Bella had ever seen him. Her eyes hungrily gobbled up the sight of his body, taking in his dark jeans, his white shirt, hooded jacket, and his army surplus coat. His tussled hair was covered by his black beanie, with only a few wisps escaping from it.

She felt her dreaded blush spread over her chest and cheeks.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Bye kids – be good!" Esme called cheerfully as she and Alice hurried outside and closed the door.

Edward looked around the quiet shop before his eyes met Bella's.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

They looked at each other as they each echoed the other's words.

Bella frowned, "Why are you sorry? I'm the one that was caught…" she waved her arm. She couldn't get the words out and she felt as if her face was hot enough to catch fire.

She saw the tips of Edward's ears grow pink as did his cheeks, "Um, yes, well, I barged into your home, uninvited, but I heard you shout and at first I thought you were in trouble…"

He let the words trail away as Bella blushed even deeper until she was sure that she was glowing like a street light!

Bella mumbled something unintelligible before she pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes.

"Hey… Bella?" Edward's voice was closer, quieter, concerned.

Bella took a shaky breath before she took her hands away and opened her eyes. Edward was perched on the counter with his hands braced on either side of him.

As she looked into his clear green eyes, Bella realized that the man standing in front of her was her friend Edward. He was the one that she had chosen to trust when she was bleeding and losing her baby. He was the friend that had helped her to heal. He was the person that knew her deepest, darkest secrets and he had never judged her or flinched at any of the details that he had found out about her. He was the friend who had shown her that a bright and exciting future was waiting for her. He believed in her.

The mortification of the previous evening seemed to melt away under his steady gaze that held no judgment or distain and Bella found her self, relaxing.

"Would you go for a drive with me so that we can talk?" Edward asked quietly.

Bella bit her lip before she nodded, "I would like that."

Edward smiled, "Good, I thought that we could get something to eat before we go for a skate around the common. Would that be okay with you?"

His eyes beseeched her to trust him.

Bella swallowed and nodded, "Okay."

They shared a smile for the first time that held no tension or anxiety before Bella excused herself to lock up the shops. Edward had helped his mother many times before and soon both shops were secure. With one final look around, Bella closed and locked the front door.

Edward held out his gloved hand and Bella put her mitten covered hand into his. He led her down the steps carefully avoiding the puddles of melted snow. He helped her up into the cab of his truck and ran around the side to his door.

With a quiet word of thanks to whoever was watching over them he got in and soon they were driving out of Hope Springs.

=====HS=====

The week leading up to Christmas had been a frustrating one for Edward. Ned had arrived three days before and he and his father had been run off their feet the previous weekend with the outbreak of an influenza epidemic that had them extending their office hours on Saturday and they had even opened the office on Sunday to see everyone.

Thankfully, Emmett had made a run into Woodstock to collect prescription medication for Carlisle and Edward to dispense to those patients whose 'flu had morphed into Bronchitis and other upper respiratory tract infections, ear infections, and in a couple of cases, Pneumonia.

Edward hadn't seen Bella, let alone had more than a five-minute hurried conversation with her at the end of each day. It was hardly the way to begin 'courting' someone and Edward told himself that he was going to have to step up his game as he ate a slice of cold toast and trudged upstairs, discarding clothes on the way before he collapsed into bed on Monday night.

Tuesday was just as busy as Monday and although Edward enjoyed working with Ned, he was a little frustrated by the locum's slightly OCD behavior when it came to patient procedure and care. So much so, that Carlisle stuck his head into Edward's office at lunch time and virtually ordered him to take a break from the confines of the office and to do the home visits that afternoon, seeing as Edward was on call that night and the next.

Both Edward and Roscoe were happy to drive around the surrounding area to follow up on their patients that were too ill to come in to their offices.

Roscoe loved it because he was spoilt rotten by each household as he was treated tasty morsels and treats and at Billy Black's house, he was even treated to a bowl of warm tea, while his master snorted in mild disgust.

"You are going to spoil him Sue." Edward chided mildly as he listened to Billy's chest.

Roscoe snorted himself and lay down next to the warm stove. _What does he know? I am that awesome that people from all over want to spoil me! _ He thought.

Edward stood up and looked at Billy. "I want you to take it easy for the next few days, Billy. Your chest is clearing well and we don't want to jeopardize your recovery. No smoking, Mister Black. Are we clear?"

Billy scowled at his young friend, "Humph! Why don't you just give Sue a pair of handcuffs so that she can keep me under lock and key?" he grumbled half to himself.

Sue rolled her eyes at Edward as she sat at the kitchen table with her arms folded.

Edward chuckled, "Jeez Billy! Keep your kink down to a minimum!" he retorted and he winked at Sue when he saw Billy's mouth twitch.

"Smart Ass!" Billy sneered, but Edward could see his eyes twinkling.

Edward checked on Billy's antibiotic's and he filled a second prescription.

After a few minutes Sue walked him and Roscoe out to his truck.

"How is he really?" Sue asked him as she hugged her thick woolen coat around her thin frame.

"He's on the mend, Sue, but I meant what I said. He needs to take it easy so that his lungs have a chance to heal completely. That means no smoking that damn pipe of his! I know that he only smokes socially, but it won't help his lungs to heal. Also, once he has finished this course of antibiotic's, I want to send him for a physiotherapy session. He will get a couple of exercises that he can do at home to help strengthen his lungs." Edward took Sues hand in his and smiled reassuringly into her worried face.

"Billy is very healthy for his age Sue. I won't lie and say that he hasn't given us a scare, but all of his tests are negative and you need to stop worrying so much. Find some time to take care of yourself as well. Nessie and Jake have offered to have the family over to their house for Christmas this year, and I think that you should take them up on the offer." Edward said quietly, but firmly. She opened her mouth to protest but Edward shook his head.

"How guilty will Billy feel if you end up getting sick from taking care of him? Please think about it, Sue; Ness and Jake really want to help you."

Sue sighed and her shoulders sagged tiredly, "You are right of course. I am exhausted. The shop has been busy and I've been up baking until two or three o'clock each morning and then Billy's been keeping me up." Her eyes filled with tears that she blinked away quickly as she made up her mind.

"Okay, Doctor Cullen, you win. I will phone Vanessa when I go inside."

Edward smiled and he leaned down to kiss her golden cheek, "Now that wasn't so hard was it? Go on inside now. I will speak to you in a couple of days and you call me if you are worried about anything okay?"

Edward climbed into his truck and headed back to the office to lock the medicine away. He and Carlisle only kept an emergency supply of drugs in their bags, while everything else was locked in a highly sophisticated fire and theft proof room that was built from reinforced steel and solid cement with a solid steel door. The room resembled a small bank vault or safe room but Carlisle had the wildly expensive room built four years before when their offices had been broken into and their meager supply of drugs had been stolen.

Edward noticed that other than the third spare office that Ned was using, the rest of the converted house was dark and quiet.

Edward punched his code into the wall and the metal door opened so that he could put the drugs away.

Once he had re-entered the stock into the computer system, the Vermont Prescription Monitoring System, he logged out and walked out of the room, locking the door.

Carlisle took no chances with the drugs on his premises as it had taken over five years for the Vermont Dispensary Board and the DEA to grant Edward a license to keep stock of and to dispense certain drugs from their premises, given Edward's history. Edward still had to submit to random drug tests and Carlisle checked the stock each week and sent the results off to the regional medical board offices so that there was no question of impropriety.

Edward stopped to pick up a stack of patient files that he had to update that evening before he stopped by Ned's office.

Ned was a thin, gangly man, who was just over six feet tall with dark brown hair and startlingly bright blue eyes. At thirty-one, Ned was still adorably nervous around women, with no idea of how handsome he was. His slight nerdy, clumsiness just made him more appealing to women in general.

Ned was especially nervous around the Cullen women, who were the most beautiful women that he had ever seen and that plus the fact that the Cullen men were so quietly intimidating, had him on edge whenever he was around them. Alice and Rosalie teased him gently and they had remarked on more than one occasion reminded them of a young Clark Kent. Emmett and Jasper sniggered nastily as they tried to imagine the pale man with the thick black hair, thick black glasses, and wiry body attempting to fly across the sky.

Ned was not a very social person, although most of the residents of Hope Springs and Reading seemed to trust his quiet, unobtrusive ways.

"Evening Ned, how's it going?" Edward asked and he rolled his eyes internally as the other man jumped slightly in his seat.

"O-okay, thanks Edward. H-how was your afternoon?" he asked nervously as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

"It was fine, you know, busy. At least it didn't rain or snow today."

The two men discussed a couple of cases for a few minutes before Edward pushed away from the door frame, "Well, I'm off Ned. Why don't you take those files home and work on them later?"

Ned smiled and shrugged, "Um, yeah, I'll head back to the boarding house soon, I just want to finish entering this last case onto the system." He blinked and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Okay, night Ned. Are you okay to be on call on the twenty-forth and twenty-fifth?"

Ned nodded, "Of course, your mom's b-been very kind to invite me for Christmas dinner, b-but I'm not sure, you know…" his voice trailed off.

Edward smiled, "Nonsense, of course you must spend Christmas with us. You know that you are more than welcome, Ned. You'd better hurry before Lauren shuts the kitchen!"

Ned nodded and they said goodnight before Edward let himself back outside and locked the front door behind him.

Once again Edward fell into a heavy sleep and he was roused the next morning by a disgruntled Roscoe who was demanding that Edward take him for a run.

Amid groans and gripes the two set off through the snow covered park. Edward was pleased to see that the paths had been cleared and the Zamboni had already smoothed the lake's surface in preparation for the day's skaters.

Edward knew that he was on call that evening even though he had to attend the annual Christmas party that the Volturi brothers gave each year. Edward thought that it was bullshit, but Carlisle had persuaded all of his children and their spouses to attend for a couple of hours seeing as Esme had to work with them and they were very influential in the county.

He was missing Bella and he made up his mind to pop in to visit her after the party if he was not called out.

The day flew by and at five Edward headed home to shower and change into his black dinner suite, long wool coat and beanie before he headed out to the Volturi dairy farms, which were about twenty miles out of town. They were actually his parent's next door neighbors but there were almost one hundred and forty acres of land between his parent's house and Aro Volturi, so it wasn't as if they lived in each other's pockets.

Edward spent the evening hiding from the Morrow sisters and Tanya and Kate Volturi, the wives of Aro and Caius and Caius and Kate's dreadful daughter, the insipid Irena.

"_Eddie! OH! Goodness, Eddie, you look soooo handsome tonight, oh my! Essey, I think I may just burst!" _Emmett gushed as he waved his arms and squealed in his high pitched rendition of Irena Volturi.

Edward glared at his oldest brother, "Fuck off Emmett!" he growled as he finished drinking his glass of iced water, while Emmett and Jasper wiped the tears off their cheeks.

"Boys! Behave yourselves immediately!" Esme hissed as she and Carlisle made their way over to where their children were standing.

Volturi Hall was everything that it sounded like: it was huge, pretentious, and ostentatious and it was surrounded by its own forest. The three mile driveway was lined with trees and more than one visitor had commented that the estate resembled Count Dracula's Castle more than a lowly farm house, as Caius and Aro like to refer to their home.

Edward stared out to the formal gardens that would look more at home in Versailles than Vermont. Every blade of grass and flower looked as if it had been placed deliberately, which it had. There were no wild flowers or sporadic copse of trees. There was not meandering stream or rickety gazebo, no, this was an Italian villa that had been taken apart on one side of the world and put together on the other.

"I'm leaving," Edward said as he turned to leave. He knew that the only reason that his family and he were invited to these tedious events was because of their 'social standing' within the community. Not that anyone other than the Volturi wives gave a flying fig about 'social standing' but it was all that Tanya, Kate, and Irena spoke about.

Edward said his goodbyes and drove to his parent's property 'next door'. He saw the lights on in Bella's apartment and his mouth curved into a smile. He had missed seeing Bella and the handful of hurried calls to her just did not satisfy his thirst for her.

He took the stairs two at a time and knocked on her door. When he didn't get an answer her knocked again and called her name.

He tried the handle and wasn't surprised to find the door unlocked. After a quick look around, he realized that she wasn't in the front room and he called her name again as he walked into the room.

Suddenly he heard a noise coming from the bathroom and he could feel his cheeks growing warm, even as his cock began to harden.

Bella was in the shower.

_Fuck me!_

Edward took two steps towards the short hallway that led to the bathroom and bedroom before he stopped himself.

"Bella? Isabella?" he shouted louder to alert her to his presence.

"_**Fuck! Oh my God! Oh! Edwwwwaaaard**_**…"**

Edward's mouth dropped and he froze to the spot.

_WHAT. THE. FUCK._

Edward's body went rigid as he heard the unmistakable sounds of Bella climaxing in the shower. It took everything that he possessed not to fling the door open and feast his eyes on what would surely be a fucking awesome sight.

He imagined the water sluicing down her body as her fingers pumped between her plump bare lips, working the tight, wet space... _Fuck!_

Edward snapped himself out of his self-induced coma and he quickly walked to the front door and banged on it loudly.

"**FUCK! HANG ON! I'M COMING!" **Bella screamed and Edward heard some scrambling. Finally she ran out of the bathroom and skidded to a halt in front of him.

To say that the air in the room was filled with sexual tension was an understatement and when Bella pleaded with Edward to leave, he did.

He could see that she was horrified knowing that he knew that she had been masturbating and screaming his name, but he thought that it was the hottest thing that had ever happened. He almost couldn't wait to get home as he ran down the stairs and almost ran to his car.

He saw Jasper's huge SUV in his peripheral vision, but he didn't even pause before he sped out of his parent's driveway.

He hardly paused to greet Roscoe before he was upstairs, in his shower, fisting his cock as his mind imagined Bella next to him, taking him into her mouth. He groaned as his fist hit the wall and his hand moved even faster as he imagined her pouty lips wrapped around his thick length. Milking him, fuck, teasing his tip, squeezing his balls as she coaxed his cum from deep inside of him and then it seemed that his stomach was almost cramping before he exploded in thick white strings over the shower wall…

"FUCK! BELLLLLA! Aaagh…" Edward's knees gave way and he crumbled to the floor of his shower as his entire body shook.

After a long time, he stood up and finished washing himself. A few swift strokes of the towel across his body and hair, he brushed his teeth and fell into bed.

_What the fuck was that?_ He wondered in a daze. He had never cum so hard in his life before. He thought back to Bella and he wondered how he was going to get her to face him again.

It seemed that every time they took a step forward, they went five steps backwards and he wondered frustrated if they would ever be in sync with each other.

As he lay in the darkness, Edward formed a plan to begin wooing his girl.

He was going to make her talk to him so that they could clear the air and then he was going to take her on a date.

=====HS=====

As they drove away from Hope Springs, Bella looked around her with interest. "Where are we going?" she asked.

Edward flashed her a smile, "Ever been to Lebanon?"

Bella frowned, "Lebanon – in the Middle East?"

Edward chuckled, "Lebanon, New Hampshire, silly."

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes, "No, silly!" she mocked.

"Settle down, we are in for a little drive." He said cryptically.

"How little?" she demanded.

Edward smiled and shook his head, "We need to talk, Swan and this is one way that I can ensure that you won't run from me! Or kick me in the nuts."

Bella laughed, "Don't be too sure about that, Cullen, I'm quite bendy…"

Edward gasped and his head whipped around to look at her for a moment, "Jesus, Bella, you are trying to kill me!"

Bella laughed even harder at his expression, "You didn't say that I couldn't tease you; special friends tease each other don't they?"

Edward rubbed a hand over his face quickly and let out a muffled groan, "I think that I've created a monster." He muttered half to himself.

Bella sobered up a little as she stared out of the window and they drove in silence for a while with the radio playing quietly in the background. She stared at the snow covered country side before she turned to Edward slightly although she didn't look at him, "Look, Edward about last night," she began quietly.

Edward looked as if he was going to interrupt her, but she held her hand up, "Please, just let me talk before you say anything, okay? This is difficult for me as it is and I just need to get this out there. After you left last night, um, Alice and then Rose came over and they helped to put some things into perspective for me." She said quietly.

When Edward heard his sister-in-laws names he groaned internally. He knew that they had both his and Bella's best interest at heart, but at the same time he shuddered to think what 'advice' they gave her!

He didn't say a word but he nodded for her to continue.

Bella sighed, "Last night was… um, unplanned, you know, and from what Rose and Alice said, it's normal or something, but I didn't mean for you to find out that I think of you – like that, you know?" Bella took several deep breaths once she finished speaking and Edward glanced at her to make sure that she wasn't having a panic attack.

Once he was happy that Bella seemed to have calmed down slightly, he slowly reached out his hand, palm up. Bella looked up from her lap to search his face before she dipped her head down so that her hair hid her face, but she wiped her hand on her jeans before she slid her hand into his.

Edward felt the slight tremor in her small fingers and the clamminess of her palm and he realized how embarrassing and distressing the situation was for Bella.

She didn't have a mother and he knew that she would never speak to Esme about the sexual side of their relationship although, God knew, Esme and Carlisle had always been more than open with their children about the subject and it made him sad to think that Bella had never been guided by an adult before.

"Bella, you don't have to apologize to me for last night or for having sexual fantasies about us or me." He felt her cringe slightly and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"I could barely contain myself last night, when I realized that you were naked and wet just a few feet away from me last night." He said quietly and Bella's head, shot up and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Really?" she squeaked out.

Edward nodded and Bella smiled a little at the pink tinge on his cheeks as he nodded.

"Yep. Love, you make me feel just as… aroused, believe me. It doesn't matter what you are wearing or where we are, I just have to think of you, your lips or the gentle curve of your hips and breasts and well, let's just say that I've learned to live with being uncomfortable most of the time!"

Bella let out an embarrassed giggle and Edward smiled at the sound.

"Bella, I use my shower much more than I need to, okay? So I understand completely about finding relief when the feelings get too much." They exchanged a quick look again.

Bella let out a sigh and Edward felt her thumb caress his hand with a gossamer touch that warmed his heart.

"Masturbating is completely one hundred percent normal and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Did the girls tell you that?"

Bella squirmed a little, "Yes!" she said in a tiny voice.

Edward nodded, "Good. Did they also tell you that guys masturbate at least twice as much as most women do?"

Bella shook her head quickly and Edward could see that the redness was back on her cheeks.

Edward chuckled, "Well they do! And research shows that guys think about sex something like every seven minutes, did you know that?"

This time, Bella laughed outright and when she looked at Edward, he was thrilled to see that there was nothing but amusement in her expression.

"Seriously?"

Edward nodded, "Men think about sex – a lot! And sometimes they don't even have to be thinking about their wives or girlfriends to get um, a 'rise'."

Edward watched various emotions flitter over Bella face. He loved how 'open' her facial expressions were.

"Well, I only think of you – like that!" Bella said with a huff and Edward bit back a smile.

"Can I tell you a secret?" he asked.

Bella bit her bottom lip and Edward shifted uncomfortably this time.

"I shout your name out loud as well."

Bella's mouth opened in a perfect 'o' and her eyebrows shot up.

"Bella, I only think of you 'like that' as well. There is no other woman that I have thought about ever since I first saw you in the Purple Cow that first night. You have a hold on me, that is confusing, amazing and even when I didn't think to highly of you, I could not get you out of my mind! I didn't even know that you were old enough to think of like that, but I just couldn't help myself. Please believe me when I say that I understand about having to 'spank the monkey' and all that." He said firmly.

Bella let out a splutter of laughter, "Excuse me? '_Spank the monkey?_' Are you kidding me? Is that what you call it? Is that what I was d-doing?"

Edward chuckled, "Okay, no, girls don't '_spank the monkey'_,_ 'pump the hose' _or_ 'choke the chicken'!_" by this time Bella was doubled over with laughter and Edward joined in.

"So what do girls do then, Doctor?" Bella asked as she wiped the tears of laughter off her cheeks before she reached for Edward's hand without even thinking about it.

It felt so good to have the rest of the tension disappear that Edward again laughed for the pure fun of it.

"I don't know what you girls call it – but I'll bet it something like '_tickling the tickler', 'clicking the mouse' _or _'plucking the cherry'_ or some shit like that!"

They giggled together at the silliness of their conversation before Bella admitted that she was going to have to ask her new friends what the best term was for what she had done and Edward made her promise to tell him what they said.

There were a few moments of silence as Edward crossed the Connecticut River before Edward drove into the picturesque town of Lebanon, New Hampshire. Bella was excited when he told her where they were.

"I've never been to New Hampshire before, Edward! Can we walk around?" she asked and Edward was reminded of Emma or Chelsea as he looked into her sparkling eyes.

"Of course we can sweetheart, but first I want to take you to lunch." He said.

He was glad to see that it had stopped snowing that morning and although it was cold, it was at least dry.

Edward hurried around to Bella's door and he quickly made sure that her coat was buttoned up, her scarf was securely around her neck and her knitted cap and mittens were on, before he wrapped an arm around her and he ushered her onto the side walk.

Bella giggled, "I feel like a five year old!" she said.

Edward's arm tightened around her as he suddenly imagined a tiny five year old Bella with no mother or father to tighten her shoe laces or make sure that she was warm or happy and the thought made him gasp and blink the sudden sheen of moisture from his eyes.

Bella stopped walking, "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, love, I just got some cold wind in my eyes. Come on, let's get indoors."

Bella knew that there was more to his actions than that, but she didn't say anything as she let him guide her into a small 'mom and pop' looking diner complete with red check table clothes.

The cafeteria was warm and welcoming as a friendly looking woman welcomed them inside and offered to take their coats.

Once they were seated in a comfortable looking booth they chatted until the waitress brought their burgers and fries, colas and coffee.

Now that they had cleared the air, the rest of their lunch was filled with teasing and laughter and afterwards they walked around for a bit before they headed back to Hope Springs for the skating party.

Bella had high expectations for the afternoon, but four hours later she had decided that ice skating was from the very depths of hell and that whoever the assholes was that had invented trying to skate on slivers of metal was not only insane but sick, twisted and Diablo himself!

She was still growling as Edward opened his front door and he deposited her dripping soggy body in the front hall.

She wobbled on her shaky legs and glared at him, "I could have taken him, you Fascist!"

Edward shook his head and narrowed his eyes at her, "I have no doubt that you could have Isabella, he is a foot shorter than you, but that wasn't the point!"

Bella snorted, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she was turning blue from being so wet and cold.

Edward sighed, "You need to get warm, love and we are due at mom and dad in an hour and a half. Now why don't you take a warm bath or shower here and I will find you something to wear and then we can head over to the farm and you can change into your clothes at your place?"

Bella shook her head as she waddled into the kitchen and perched gingerly on one of the bar stools.

"I told you Edward: I'm fine!" she said with a pout and she stared out of the window.

In her mind the 'ice skating date' was supposed to have gone a whole lot smoother. She envisioned her flying across the snow covered ice, holding hands with Edward, while some soft music playing in the background.

The reality of the situation was that there were two and three year olds that skated better than she did! She couldn't find her fucking balance on the miniscule blades, her ankles hurt like a bitch, and her feet were so fucking cold that she couldn't feel them after ten minutes!

And that wasn't the worst of it! The worst was that the entire fucking town seemed to be down at the pond and after her fiftieth (or what felt like fiftieth) fall; they all still laughed at her!

She and Edward's lunch date had been wonderful, as was the drive back to Hope Springs. Things had only begun unraveling when they had pulled into Edward's driveway.

Bella had been so excited by the sounds coming from Dorset common and she had waved Edward's concerns away.

"_Of course_ I can skate, Edward! I've been skating, you know!" she had said dismissively.

Edward had stared at her in confusion, "Oh! Okay! Well, it's just that Dad told me… you know… when you went skating that first time…" his words trailed off at the murderous look on Bella's face.

"What? What did he say?" she hissed and Edward had swallowed nervously as he frantically tried to back pedal – _maybe he had misunderstood Carlisle… oh God, he hoped so, but he was sure that Carlisle had told him that Bella was a 'one woman wrecking crew on ice'…._

"Nothing! Nothing love! If you are sure…" he said as he inched away from her.

Bella nodded shortly and Edward smiled, "Okay then, I will just get my skates."

"You have your own skates?" Bella asked as he rummaged in the small mud room.

"Sure do, I have a few pairs – we all do. Have you got your own pair?" he asked as he walked out with his hockey skates under one arm.

Bella scowled and shook her head, "No, I'll use the hire ones. Those are fine for now."

Edward didn't say anything but he made a note to see if he could buy her a pair of skates soon.

**A/N: Who thinks this is a good idea? Hands up? That few, huh? **


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 17 – **_

"_**Of course I can skate, Edward! I've been skating, you know!" she had said dismissively.**_

_**Edward had stared at her in confusion, "Oh! Okay! Well, it's just that Dad told me… you know… when you went skating that first time…" his words trailed off at the murderous look on Bella's face.**_

"_**What? What did he say?" she hissed and Edward had swallowed nervously as he frantically tried to back pedal – maybe he had misunderstood Carlisle… oh God, he hoped so, but he was sure that Carlisle had told him that Bella was a 'one woman wrecking crew on ice'….**_

"_**Nothing! Nothing love! If you are sure…" he said as he inched away from her.**_

_**Bella nodded shortly and Edward smiled, "Okay then, I will just get my skates."**_

"_**You have your own skates?" Bella asked as he rummaged in the small mud room.**_

"_**Sure do, I have a few pairs – we all do. Have you got your own pair?" he asked as he walked out with his hockey skates under one arm.**_

_**Bella scowled and shook her head, "No, I'll use the hire ones. Those are fine for now."**_

_**Edward didn't say anything but he made a note to see if he could buy her a pair of skates soon.**_

**CHAPTER 18 – 'ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU…'**

From the moment that she had put her feet onto the ice until he had dragged her off, Bella was a complete disaster on skates.

She knocked into people; she wobbled, she absolutely refused to let anyone help her, she dragged entire rows of fellow skaters down with her when she fell, she cussed, growled, and glared at anyone until she had been silently banished to the very middle of the pond and everyone had skated around her, giving her a wide berth. And every time that Edward had wanted to help or tried to help her she scowled at him and told him to 'leave her the fuck alone.'

The last straw had come when Bobby Jenkins had skated up to Bella and had offered to help her to the side of the pond, but their skates had become tangled and they had gone down.

After that, Bella threatened to 'get even with him' before Emmett had whistled for Edward to get Bella off the ice. Needless to say Bella was forcibly removed from the ice, her skates removed and then Edward carried her home over his shoulder.

Bella sighed and buried her head in her aching arms. _What a disaster! He probably won't want to ever go out with me again, _Bella thought.

It seemed that every single bone in her body ached. She wasn't even cold any longer.

She sat up startled when Edward began to take her skates off before he picked her up without ceremony and he carried her upstairs, where he deposited her in her old bathroom.

Bella was shocked to see the bathroom was filled with steam and the shower was running even though the bath was filled with water.

"Get into the shower and wash your hair etcetera and then climb into the bath and turn on the jet nozzles. They will help to ease some of the pain in your body." Edward said.

Bella huffed and opened her mouth but Edward leaned down so that they were almost eye level.

His voice was deep and gruff, "Isabella, you have ten seconds to get into that fucking shower before I undress you and throw you in there myself. Now stop arguing and do as you are told, do you understand me?"

"Yes Edward!" she said quickly.

Edward nodded and walked out without another word and Bella quickly pulled her wet clothes off.

_Fuck, domineering Edward is a pain in my ass, but that was fucking hot!_

She opened the bathroom door forty minutes later, feeling a lot warmer and less sore only to find a pair of thick tights, a short black skirt with a matching soft lamb's wool v-neck jersey that showed just enough cleavage and her thick white coat. Her knee high black boots and black lace underwear completed the outfit along with a red scarf, hat and mittens.

She spotted a note on top of the clothes in Edward's elegant handwriting:

'_**Called Alice, now get dressed, please!'**_

Once she was dressed, she made her way downstairs to where Edward was waiting for her.

Edward was not staying at his house, just like his brothers, he was sleeping at his parents' house for the next few days.

Bella walked to where Edward was standing at the windows, staring out at the lit skating rink "Thank you." she all but whispered to him.

Edward nodded before he pulled her into his arms.

It was the first real contact that they had had in days and Bella's entire body felt as if it would combust.

"Are you feeling better, love?" he asked as he nuzzled his nose against her neck.

Bella let out a sigh of bliss at his touch. "Hmm," was all that she could manage, causing Edward to chuckle.

Bella smiled as she unashamedly sniffed his neck and scratched her finger nails into his hair.

Edward pulled back and gripped her hips lightly, "You look beautiful, Isabella."

Bella licked her lips as her gaze travelled up from his black dress trousers, to his silver grey silk shirt.

"You look, um, you look very handsome." She said as she cleared her throat.

Bella was mesmerized by Edward's eyes which were darker than usual.

"Come on, let's go."

The short drive was silent, except for a few comments about their day.

"Do you think that everyone knows that I am an animal on the ice and that I'm public enemy number one?" she asked nervously as they pulled up behind what looked like a driveway full of cars.

Edward hid his smile by pretending to take extra care while parking his truck. "I don't think so love. And you are not an animal, per say, you are just um, how should I put this… enthusiastic?"

Bella hummed in agreement. Her hopes were dashed as soon as they entered the house.

"Hey! If it isn't Hope Springs' very own '_Tanith Belbin'_**! How are those skating legs, Bells?" Emmett boomed.

Bella growled at him as Edward took her hand, "Stuff it, Emmett! I could have taken that kid and I can take you too!" She snarled as she walked past him with her nose up in the air.

"Bella, that kid is ten years old and he is a foot shorter than you!" he cackled.

_Little fucker!_

She accepted the good natured ribbing from everyone as she helped the women in the kitchen.

Carlisle handed Edward a whisky with a smirk, "I told you not to let her near the ice, son. She is one of the most uncoordinated people I've ever seen!"

Edward glared at his brothers and father, "Give her a break okay?" his stern expression fell away as Emmett recanted for everyone how Bella had managed to bring twenty skater down with one stumble, but they quickly stifled their laughter when Esme walked through to begin setting the dining room table. They knew better than to upset her.

The beautifully decorated dining room table enchanted Bella. Every seat at the table was being used as Esme opened her house to anyone that did not have a family in Hope Springs over Christmas.

Edward introduced her to the only face that was unfamiliar to her as they sat down.

"Bella, this is Doctor Ned Davis, who is helping us out over the Christmas season so that Dad can take a break. Ned, this is Isabella Swan, a very good friend of mine and she is part of our family." Edward said firmly. He wanted to make sure that Ned knew exactly who Bella was and whom she belonged to!

Ned pushed his glasses up his nose and stared at Bella.

Bella smiled at the nervous looking man. He was good looking in a 'nerdy' kind of way with his well combed black hair, clear blue eyes behind his thick black rimmed framed glasses and his pale skin.

"H-how do you do?" He stuttered quietly as he took in the most beautiful looking young woman that he had ever seen.

"Nice to meet you, Ned." Bella said as she extended her hand, which he took hesitantly.

Ned could hardly remember what he ate that evening. All he could think about was Isabella Swan. She was enchanting and every time that she spoke or smiled in his direction, Ned had felt like the sun was shining on him.

Edward noticed the many furtive glances that Ned gave Bella whenever he thought that no one was looking.

Ned looked at Edward and saw the dark anger and possessiveness in the other man's gaze and he almost choked on his food. It was obvious how Edward felt about Bella, but he wondered, _did she return his feelings or could Ned have a chance to get to know the beautiful young woman?_

Traditionally, the Cullen's and their visitors went to the Christmas Eve church service, while the children were babysat. When Bella had learned of their tradition, she had volunteered to stay behind with the children. Even though Bella had become fond of the minister and his wife, she wasn't ready to go to church just yet and Pastor Craig had never pressured her. He had assured her with a gentle pat to her hand that "God was patient and would wait for her."

Bella smiled and assured everyone that she was fine with staying behind as even Edward was going to church with his family.

She already had the milk and cookies ready for the children and she had been given a copy of 'The night before Christmas' by Brady to read once the adults had left.

Ned hung back as everyone else used the bathrooms and put on their coats. Bella was in the kitchen when she became aware of been watched and she looked up surprised to see him shifting from one foot to the other as he stood in the doorway.

"Ned! You scared the sh-bejeebers out of me! Is something wrong?"

Ned swallowed nervously, before squaring his shoulders, "I just…" his voice came out in a high pitched squeak and his face turned red as he cleared his throat and started over.

"Um, I just wanted to know if you were going to the sled races the day after tomorrow."

Bella was about to say that she would probably go with Edward when she saw Alice and Rosalie from the corner of her eye. They were gesturing wildly at her.

"Excuse me for a moment Ned, I just need to have a word with Rose…" she said as she quickly walked out of the room and into the empty hallway.

Bella wondered where they had gone to, when a hand snuck out and the next thing Bella was pulled into the hall closet. Another hand clamped over her mouth.

"Don't scream! It's us!" Alice whispered next to her ear.

Bella shook the hands off her, "Fuck me! Do you want to give me a fucking heart attack? What is wrong with the two of you?" Bella hissed as she tried to make them out in the dark.

"Just listen! This is the perfect opportunity to put operation 'Edward-blue-balls' into play! Ned is perfect!" Alice whispered.

Bella frowned, "But… shit Alice, what if this causes even more problems? Edward and I are just working things out and…"

"Has he asked you to go steady – you know, to be his girlfriend?" Rosalie snapped.

"No, but…"

"No but nothing! Bella, you need to take some control here, this is not all about Edward, and he needs to learn that! Go out with Ned, have some fun and I guarantee you, Edward will be claiming you faster than a New York minute!" Rosalie said.

"What about Ned? He seems like a nice enough man! I don't want hurt him."

"Oh Bella, we aren't asking you to sleep with the man, just go out as friends. Edward doesn't need to know that little fact." Alice reasoned.

Bella sighed, what they were saying made sense, so before she could change her mind, she heard herself reluctantly agreeing to the plan.

The three women tumbled out of the closet to find Jasper and Emmett outside.

For a moment there was silence before Jasper gave the women his 'cop' stare, letting them squirm before he shook his head, "You know, I don't want to know, just don't let it be illegal. Come on Baby, we need to go."

Emmett narrowed his eyes at Rosalie, "Rosalie Cullen; you have some explaining to do."

Bella walked back into the kitchen to find Ned still there.

"Sorry Ned – last minute instructions from the mothers. Now what were you saying?"

"Um, I was wondering, and you probably won't say yes, but I wanted to ask you to go with me to the sled races, over on the Dilworth farm?"

Bella felt guilty for what she was about to do, and she hoped that no one would be hurt by her actions, "That sounds great, Ned? Although I must warn you, I'm not good on the ice or snow as you heard tonight. I'm from Arizona, you see."

Ned felt as if he had just won the lottery and his beaming face showed his pleasure as he let out a carefree laugh, "It's okay, Bella, I will keep you safe."

They chatted for a few minutes before Esme and Carlisle walked in to tell Bella that they were leaving.

Esme looked from the blushing Ned to Bella, which made Ned blush all the more.

"The service is a short one, so we will be home in about an hour, sweetheart." Esme said to Bella.

"Would you like to drive with us Ned?" Carlisle asked.

Ned nodded, "That s-sounds great, thanks Carlisle."

He blinked rapidly and pushed his glasses up his nose. "I, um, will, um…"

Bella smiled, "I'm sure that I will see you tomorrow and we can make arrangements then, Ned."

She saw Carlisle try to hide a smile behind his hand as he pulled a gaping Esme to the front door.

Bella let out a shaky breath.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself quietly before she called the children to the kitchen for their treats.

She wondered if she was going to have the strength to follow through on her plan. _What if Edward got pissed and walked away? What if Ned got hurt? What if she ended up alienating the Cullen's for play games with Edward's heart? _The last thought made Bella feel ill.

_What if it works? _It was this thought that strengthened her resolve, even when the family came home from church and Edward insisted on walking her to her door.

=====HS=====

After a wonderful make out session, Bella fell into a light sleep. It was her first real Christmas and part of her felt as excited as the children, who had taken almost an hour to fall asleep.

Bella was up, dressed in one of her pairs of pajamas, a thick dressing gown, a pair of lined boots, and a scarf by the time the children pounded on her door at six o' two on Christmas morning.

She threw the door open and laughed as the four children tugged her down the stairs, barely giving her enough time to gather her armful of gifts.

All four children were talking at lightning speed, already giddy with excitement and Bella giggled as she was pushed through the door into the mud-room. She tugged off her boots and scarf quickly before she was 'helped' into the living room.

Everyone looked up as Bella came into the room amid chattering and laughter. Edward could not help smiling as he noticed Bella's slightly lopsided ponytail and her sleep-rosy cheeks.

"Finally! Now we can open presents!" Emmett huffed, only to be chastised by Esme with a dirty look that made him shut up quickly.

After a quick greeting and a chaste kiss from Edward, Bella settled on an ottoman next to Edward's chair. She felt a buzz of electricity go through her as she felt his fingers tracing absently on the small of her back.

Traditionally, Carlisle was in charge of overseeing the gift giving and each person was given their pile of gifts and then it was a free-for-all.

Bella's eyes were as wide as Brady's as she watched Carlisle sorting through the gifts.

She was smiling so broadly that her cheeks hurt as she watched the children receive their pile of gifts.

Emmett was almost humming with excitement but Carlisle ignored him as he held out several brightly colored and beautifully wrapped packages to Bella.

"Isabella?" Bella gasped as she looked from the gifts to Carlisle's smiling face. She knew that Charlie had probably given her Christmas presents and she had received packets of candy and sometimes a gift in the children's home but this was the first time that she could remember getting a specially wrapped gift and it made her eyes burn and her heart beat wildly, so much so that her hand shook as she reached for the gifts.

"All of these? Are, are you sure?" she whispered without noticing that the adults had stopped talking and watched her with similar expressions of sorrow and sadness in their eyes. Esme got up quickly to 'check on something in the kitchen' and Alice hurried inside to 'help' her, while Bree turned her face away and quickly wiped the tears off her cheeks. Rose turned her face into Emmett's neck and she felt his kiss on her brow.

Edward felt his heart pounding as he reached out and took the gifts from his father's hand. He put them into Bella's lap and nodded to Carlisle to move on to the next person.

Bella felt as if she was frozen. All around her paper was being torn and ribbons floated to the ground but she had barely moved as she watched the faces of the family that she had come to love as they opened their gifts and exchanged kisses and smiles.

Bree was sitting on Carlisle's lap, with her arm draped over his shoulder as Esme put the small gold studs into her ears.

Rosalie and Emmett were teasing each other as they held up their knitted jerseys from Esme.

Alice, Jasper, and Chelsea sat together as they looked though each other's gifts.

"My Belle! Whatcha doin'? You got's to open dees presents, Belle, or else Santa Nick won't come next time," Bella smiled as the small boy slid over his uncle's lap to put his small hand on Bella's cheek.

Bella blinked and came out of her dazed state, "Sorry Brady! I was just so excited to see all the presents that Father Christmas brought you that I forgot to open mine!"

Brady frowned, "You _forgots_ to open dem?" he said incredulous before he leaned closer and whisper/shouted in her ear, "Dem elves are around here, Belle, don't let dem hear you or else…." He opened his eyes dramatically as he made a choking sound.

Brady's eyes were opened comically wide as he looked towards the crackling fireplace and the French doors and large windows. He looked back at Bella and patted her cheek; "Dem elves is everywhere, Belle…" he nodded.

Bella began to giggle at the little boys antics, which drew the attention of Alice, who had overheard the last part of his story.

Alice frowned at Emmett, "Em, what the he-hang did you and Jasper tell these kids?"

Emmett wiggled his eyebrows and shrugged, "Not telling! It's a secret, right kids?"

The children agreed solemnly.

Alice shook her head as she looked at Rosalie, Esme and Bella, "I knew that we shouldn't have let these two take the children to see Santa Claus over in Woodstock yesterday, no wonder Brady asked me to check the closet after his bath!"

Bella smiled as Brady climbed onto her lap and handed her a gift, with a stern, gruff, "Open!"

Bella didn't want to ruin the pretty paper but by now she had drawn the attention of the other three children, who all clambered around her to 'instruct' on how to open her gifts.

"You gots to rip dat paper, Belle!" Brady encouraged.

"Read the message first, so that you know who it's from." Chelsea advised sagely.

"It's all from Santa, silly!" Emma advised.

"Yeah, but sometimes remember the grownups help him?" Jed explained with a wink to Bella.

Edward watched as Bella looked from one to the other. Her expression was a little shell-shocked and with a slight nod from his father, he decided to intervene.

"Okay, now! Let's give Bella some room shall we? I'm sure that Roscoe is tired of waiting for his gifts?"

At that the children scampered over to where Roscoe was busy tearing into some crumpled paper. It was sadly true that each family bought the dog a Christmas gift that was wrapped up and placed on top of the kitchen counter so that he wasn't tempted to wade through the pile of gifts to reach his as he had done the very first Christmas that he had spent with Edward.

About thirty gifts had been ripped open, with contents spilled out; candy and chocolate had been eaten. The day had consisted of four crying children and one unhappy puppy who had his stomach pumped by one pissed off Rosalie who had had to open her practice on Christmas morning.

Since then, Roscoe was only let into the sitting room under strict supervision.

Bella put her hand on Edward's knee, "Thanks." She said quietly as she opened her first gift. It was from Edward. Her hands shook at the sight of the long flat box and Edward saw her eyes glisten.

"Only happy tears, okay, love?" he whispered as he moved closer.

Bella nodded, but once the lid was off and she was staring at the silver bracelet with the three charms on it, she could not stop the tears from falling.

"Oh Edward…" she muttered.

The small graduation cap had the date of her GED test as well as her score inscribed on it. Next to that, the silver VW Beetle made her smile through her tears. The last charm was a beautiful heart shaped crystal in green. Her wet eyes looked up to find Edward smiling gently at her, "You said that green is your favorite color and I wanted you to know how important you are to me."

Bella swallowed several times before she could talk, "This is the most incredible gift I've ever received. Thank you."

"Naw, come on Bells, you haven't opened my gift yet!" Emmett piped up, breaking the tension and making everyone laugh.

Bella dutifully opened Emmett and Rosalie's gift next and she blushed as she looked at the three hundred dollar gift voucher for 'In-X-eSS'. She tried to stuff the card back into the envelope quickly but she wasn't quick enough as Edward let out a rasping noise and Jasper barked out a laugh.

Bella could feel her face was crimson as Esme scrunched up her nose and looked at her, "What gift voucher was that, Bella?"

Bella's head snapped up and she stared at Esme opening and closing her mouth several times before she mumbled, 'books 'n stuff'. Rosalie and Alice laughed before Rosalie explained that they were taking Bella shopping the next morning.

Bella wanted to die and she quickly excused herself to use the bathroom downstairs. Once in the small room, she splashed water on her burning face before she combed her fingers through her hair and retied her ponytail.

She opened the door to find Edward waiting for her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Bella nibbled on her lower lip and nodded quickly, "Yeah. I think that I'll open my other gifts at home though. Is it time to get dressed?"

Edward nodded as Bella ran her eyes over his sleep pants and T-shirt.

"Yeah, we will leave for the shelter in about an hour and then we will have Christmas dinner here at about four this afternoon." He said.

Bella had learned that the Cullen's drove over to Hartford Shelter and helped to cook and serve Christmas lunch for almost two hundred people. This was the same shelter that Alice provided with clothing and household items for their 'thrift store', where all clothes could be purchased for a dollar. Bella had offered to help as well and when she wasn't studying for finals or doing homework, she had helped several of the townspeople to make up boxes of food, clothing and personal items for each person and several extra parcels just in case more people showed up as was usually the case.

Bella walked back inside the living room to find it deserted. She sighed in relief but swung around when she heard Edward speak, "Why did Rose and Em give you that gift certificate?" he asked.

Bella shook her head as she picked up her gifts, hiding her face.

"TheysaidthatIneedsometoy's" she mumbled as she spun around and almost tripped.

Edward gripped her elbows and halted her escape, "Isabella, look at me."

Bella looked up at him, "It's okay to have 'toys' or whatever, but you don't need to be railroaded into anything. Don't let anyone push you further than you are willing to go."

Bella stared up at him for a minute before she said quietly, "But what if I want to be pushed, Edward? What if, I'm tired of not taking a chance? What if I want to try something new?"

They stared at each other silently. Edward could not answer her. He knew that she was talking about their physical relationship, but he was not ready and he didn't think that she was anywhere near ready to move forward – hell they had only had one date!

Bella's eyes narrowed as she pulled herself away from Edward, "That's what I thought! Well we will just have to see if Ned is prepared to teach me something new, then."

Edward's hand shot out and gripped her wrist, "What the fuck? Ned? What does he have to do with us?"

Bella cocked an eyebrow, "Nothing at all, but you and I are just 'special friends' right? So Ned asked me to go sledding with him tomorrow and I agreed."

Bella forced herself not to turn away from Edward's suddenly black and furious gaze.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he hissed.

Bella swallowed, but she would not allow herself to be intimidated by him so she shrugged nonchalantly, "Nope, not kidding. I need to change; I'll see you later, yeah?"

Without waiting for an answer, she quickly pulled her boots on in the mud-room and without pulling her jacket on; she raced through the garage to her apartment.

Once there, she swiftly locked the door.

"Oh my God!" she said out loud. She tossed the gifts onto her sofa and made her way to the bathroom.

She hoped that she had not pushed Edward too far, but she also knew that she needed to show him that she was not a child and that she wanted to be treated like an adult. A woman!

Half an hour later Bella was dressed in jeans that she pushed into her knee high fur lined boots. Alice and Jasper had given her a fake fur short jacket for Christmas that she wore over a black polo neck sweater. She blow-dried her hair straight and put on a light application of makeup.

Thankfully the rest of her gifts were not embarrassing at all. Vinnie and Felix had sent her a gift card for books.

Billy and Sue had dropped off a gift for her and Bella was touched by the expensive pen that had her name engraved onto it. The card had read, 'Every teacher needs a good pen!'.

The last gift that Bella opened was from Esme and Carlisle and she became emotional when she saw that they had given her a charm that clipped onto her bracelet. It was a silver oval, engraved with the word 'Family' and when she turned it over, she saw that it had the Cullen crest on it in black and silver.

Bella wiped her tears away and after checking her makeup, she left her apartment.

Edward was nowhere to be found when she arrived at the Cullen's. Each family was driving over separately and Bella had assumed that she and Edward would drive together, but when she dared to ask about his whereabouts, Alice told her with a smirk that Edward had excused himself, saying that he had an urgent matter to attend to and that he would see them later. Esme frowned at Alice and told her to leave Edward alone.

Bella pulled Alice aside, "What the hell was that about?" Bella hissed.

Alice shrugged, "I don't know what you said to him, but when you left he stormed into the kitchen and announced that Ned was never going to get a partnership near Hope Springs and then he told mom that he would catch up with us later."

"Oh fuck." Bella said as she was filled with dread. _What the fuck had she done?_

"What? What happened, Bella?"

"I told him that Ned and I were going sledding tomorrow. He won't do anything stupid would he? Oh my God! What was I thinking? Stupid, stupid, Bella!" Bella asked more concerned for Ned's safety than anything else as she hit herself on her forehead.

Alice shook her head "Stop that! I don't think that Edward is stupid enough to do anything to Ned, Bella, but it's about time that he realizes that you aren't going to hang around for him."

Bella was wringing her hands together, feeling sicker by the minute. She was not cut out to play games like this! She didn't know how to weave webs of deception and she hated the subterfuge.

"I need to go! I need to find Edward! Alice, let me go!" she said as Alice grabbed her hands.

"No, Bella, just listen! Edward isn't going to go off the deep end, okay? You can't let him control or manipulate you into 'towing the line' and hanging around for him. He decided that you must build your friendship – _he_ decided that you wouldn't have a physical relationship until _he_ decides that you are ready to move forward! Come on Bella! _Think!_ You have to draw the line here! You have to show Edward that you won't be pushed around. Let me tell you something, the Cullen men love to have control! Whether it is control in the home, their careers, the sports field or the bedroom, it's all the same to them. Now; they choose strong minded women who won't let them push us around and it's time that you show your strength to Doctor Edward Cullen, missy!" Alice was glaring at her and Bella could see that she was serious.

Bella took a moment to gather her thoughts and opened her mouth, but she was interrupted by Carlisle, "I hate to admit it Bella, but Alice is right."

Bella gasped and she swung around to look at Carlisle standing in the door with Esme. Bella's eyes met Esme's and Esme nodded, "It's true."

Carlisle cleared his throat, "Come on, let's talk as we drive to the shelter."

Bella was still double minded as she followed Carlisle and Esme to the garage. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and their children had already left as Bella sat in the back of Carlisle's luxury SUV.

Bella was biting her lip and twisting her phone in her lap as she stared out of the window. She was cursing the fact that she had allowed her temper to get the better of her.

Esme turned in her seat and she saw how the younger woman was worrying about what had happened between Edward and herself.

"Bella, we all love Edward very much, but you are a young and single woman and if you want to date other people, then you should do that. Ned Davis is a lovely young man."

Bella looked up with a frown, 'I'm not dating Ned, we are just going to the sledding race tomorrow that is all."

"Does Ned know that?" Carlisle asked quietly, "Because from what I saw last night, he seems quite taken with you."

Bella could feel her cheeks growing hot, "No well, um, Rose and Alice said… well…" she stopped talking when she met Carlisle's eyes in the rearview mirror, "Bells, I know that we are not your birth parents, but none the less, we think of you as our own and I would like to give you the same advice that I would give any of our four children: , it's not fair to play one guy off another, even if you think that one of them deserves it." He said in his quiet manner, which made Bella feel even worse than if he shouted at her.

"I just… well I just want Edward to make some sort of commitment and if he's not going to do that then I think that we should see other people."

Carlisle nodded slowly, "I agree with you, and that's precisely why you need to have a conversation with Ned and Edward. You need to let Ned know how you feel and you need to tell him that you are just friends so that he doesn't get his hopes up and you need to tell Edward just what you told me."

Bella nodded and she turned to look out of the window once more. Carlisle could see how miserable she was and he realized just how ill equipped Bella was for the 'real world'. With no role models in her life and no authority figures that she could draw examples from, she was vulnerable and susceptible to many outside influences. He decided there and then the he and Esme needed to invest more time with Bella and with Bree as it wouldn't be too long before she would be on her way to college.

Carlisle parked in the parking lot across from the old stone building and he walked around to open Esme and Bella's doors. Bella climbed out and he noticed that she kept her head down.

Carlisle wondered if she was crying and he motioned to Esme to check up on her as he excused himself to begin carrying in the gifts and food provisions that Esme had brought with for the lunch.

"Bella?" Esme said quietly.

Bella looked up quickly and Esme saw the telltale red rimmed eyes and the pink nose that was a sure fire sign of a crying jig.

"Let's go inside, honey." She said and she put an arm around Bella's shoulder and guided her into a small ante room that had been turned into a makeshift cloakroom.

As they removed their coats, Esme closed the door and turned to the young woman, "I don't want you to worry so much about Edward, Bella. I promise that he will be fine once he stops sulking."

Bella shook her head, "But even Carlisle thought that I was being a bit of a slut..." she began but Esme held up her hand.

"Now you know that he didn't say that. What he did was to explain to you how mature people should behave. It's all about life lessons, sweetie. You haven't lived in a real family for a very long time and when you did, it was just Charlie and you. We are by no means perfect – we are way too nosey and opinionated and stubborn, but we love each other and hopefully we are always truthful and upfront with each other and that's why I am so upset with Rosalie and Alice. They know better than to encourage you to 'play the field'. If you want to see other people then it is only fair that you tell Edward that. I would expect nothing less from him." Esme spoke quietly.

Bella nodded, "Okay, I'll speak to them both."

Esme smiled, "Good girl, now let's go out there and spread some Christmas cheer and Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Edward may be a bit of a dolt about showing you how he feels but he had your charms especially made for you, so that should tell you something." She said before she walked out to join everyone else in the large kitchen.

Bella brushed her charm bracelet before she joined everyone else and time seemed to fly by until they finished serving lunch and they cleaned up before they all left to go back to the Cullen's.

Bella noticed earlier in the day that Carlisle and Esme took Rosalie and Alice to one side and they seemed to have a heated debate. Bella looked at Jasper and Emmett to see if they knew what was going on, but the brothers just shrugged their shoulders and Jasper commented with a wry grin, "Probably too much salt in the broccoli."

Bella giggled and she turned back to the batch of white sauce that she was busy with.

Once they arrived back at the house at around two, everyone dispersed to take naps or just laze around and the idea was that they would meet up again at four that afternoon.

Bella noticed that Edward's car wasn't back yet and she decided to take Roscoe out for a walk.

She made her way out the back of the main house and through the gate to follow the path that she and Edward had taken to the pretty meadow at the back of the house.

Roscoe ran in and out of the trees, enjoying his freedom, even though he wasn't crazy about the banks of snow, while Bella followed slowly behind him.

Every now and again he would make his way back to her, as if to check that she was still fine before he would dart off again.

It took longer to reach the meadow this time but it was just as enchanting as before, except it was covered in a thick blanket of snow. Bella shivered slightly and for the first time, she thought longingly about the heat of Arizona.

She had not thought about that place since she had left but now as she brushed the snow off the swing, she wondered what her life would have been like if Charlie hadn't died.

Surprisingly she felt sad that she would not have met the Cullen's nor would she have met Edward or any of the people that she had come to love in Hope Springs.

Bella felt a tingle in her stomach and she knew that Edward was close by. She had come to welcome the built-in sensor that just knew when he was around.

She looked up and saw him standing just inside the meadow. His hands were buried in his parka and he was wearing snow boots and his ever present beanie. Bella smiled when she saw that he was wearing the awful scarf that she had knitted for his birthday.

"Hi" she said when he didn't talk first. Her voice carried over the snow to Edward.

"Hi" his voice gave nothing away and Bella bit her lip nervously. She couldn't tell from his bland expression what he was thinking, be he didn't seem to be in a bad mood.

Edward didn't smile but he walked forward until he was only a few feet away.

Roscoe came bounding over to greet his master. Edward spent a few minutes making a fuss of him while Bella became increasingly edgy.

Finally she couldn't take it any longer and she jumped up from the swing.

Edward gave Roscoe a final scratch on his head before he straightened up and looked at the young woman who had turned his world upside-down and wrongsideup!

"Bella" he began but she held out her hand as she walked away a few paces and tuned around to face him.

"Please, let me go first?" she pleaded.

Edward gave a short nod.

"Okay, well, I need to apologize to you again. I'm a terrible person!" Bella began pacing backwards and forwards in front of the swing, tripping over the clumps of snow as she went. She began to wave her arms around as she gestured wildly. "I can't do this! I'm not that girl! I can't and I know that I should be! Rose and Alice are going to be so disappointed but I can't do it! This isn't worth it – oh God! I'm such a mean, horrible person; I don't know why you would even bother with me! I wouldn't want anything to do with me…!" Bella rambled on as she kicked at the snow and almost fell on her ass.

Edward smothered a laugh as he lunged forward to grip her arms, just managing to keep them both upright.

"Isabella! Slow down. What are you talking about?" he asked as he brushed strands of hair that had worked themselves loose from her beanie.

Bella scowled at him, "Me! I'm talking about what you must think of me, Edward!"

Edward noticed that her lips were turning blue and took her hand in his, "Come on, love. We need to take this conversation some place warmer."

Bella nodded and Edward didn't waste any time leading them back to the main house.

"My place?" Bella said as they crossed the back yard.

Roscoe had run on ahead. He raced into the garage and up the stairs. He knew that Bella kept lots of lovely treats for him and she dried his wet paws and fur off whenever she insisted on taking him out in the snow!

Edward warmed up some milk for his special hot chocolate while Bella dried Roscoe, fed him some treats and made sure that he was cozy on his sheepskin bed before she walked to the kitchen counter.

Edward poured the mixture into large mugs and he put them on the dining room table before he turned to her.

Bella was nibbling on her thumb nail nervously.

"Now, come and sit down and tell me what you were rambling on about back there."

Bella sighed and sat down heavily, "I just, fuck this is so ridiculous! I don't do awkward and uncomfortable!" She shook her head and raised her eyes to meet his steady gaze.

"I don't know what the fuck I'm doing Edward. I want to be with you and I know that I'm not supposed to tell you that, because it's against some sort of 'girl code' or something and I'm supposed to show you that now everything can be your way or on your agenda, but I am so fucking over trying to play games! I don't know what the nuances are in relationships! I've never had a fucking relationship in my life, so all I know is that I lo-" Bella stopped talking as she turned bright red and her eyes widened in alarm.

Edward's heart felt as if it was going to burst from his chest – did Bella almost just tell him that she loved him? He could see how mortified she was by her almost faux pa and he decided that the best would be to ignore it so he dipped his head and took a small sip of his drink.

Bella stared at the top of Edward's head. _Had he heard her?_ She studied his face as he looked up at her, but there was nothing but mild curiosity and she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, love, you were saying?" he prompted and mentally patted himself on his back for his acting abilities when he wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and pull Bella into his lap and kiss the shit out of her!

"Yeah, right, so I was saying that I like you very much and I want to be more than friends with you but if you are not willing to take that step with me then I need to move on and see other people, you know, so yeah, this is me telling you that I'm a woman with …needs, Edward!"

Bella got up and began to pace the length of the room, "Yes, well, I have needs!" she said with a huff as her face turned bright red. Her eyes met his for a fraction of a second before she looked away again.

"I know that it's not fair or good, or even something that 'nice' girls do, but I have to tell you that there are _feelings_… and _needs_! And urges…" she whispered as she stopped pacing and stared at her feet, "Lots and lots of urges… and I want you to be the one to do something about them – not all the time, but we need to do something before I explode! And then I did something stupid by agreeing to…" Bella gasped for breath realizing that she had not taken one in several minutes.

"Whoa! Slow down there speedy! Lets' talk about one thing at a time, okay?" Edward's amused tone stopped her ramblings.

Bella looked up almost startled to see Edward still sitting where she left him.

"Okay?" she responded unsurely.

"Come here, love."

Edward crooked his finger and curled it towards himself and Bella almost fainted at the sexy gleam in his eyes.

Never one to back down, she forced her legs to propel her forward until she was standing between his knees.

Edward looked up at her and slid his hands around her waist, so that he was holding her loosely.

"Now, I need to say something and I want you to hear me, Isabella Swan. Are you listening?"

Bella nodded and she couldn't help her hands from landing on his broad shoulders with the tips of her fingers gently caressing his soft hair. She thought that she was going to drown in his emerald green eyes.

"Breathe Bella!" he said softly.

Bella took a hurried breath and waited, "I more than like you too, Bella. I know that our timing might suck because you have just started school and everything, but I want you to know that my intentions are completely honorable as far as you are concerned. I'm not interest in seeing other people and I really don't want you to see other people either. I want to be your 'boyfriend' – exclusively. How does that sound?"

Bella took a couple of deep breaths to keep herself from passing out at his feet.

She shook her head slightly to clear the 'Edward induced fog' from it. "Do you mean it? You're not just saying this because I agreed to go out with Ned tomorrow, are you? I mean, are you sure, Edward?"

Edward's hands tightened on her waist as he drew her closer. His gaze intensified if that was at all possible.

"I mean it one hundred percent. I wanted to give you more time, but I have heard everything that you've said and what you didn't say and this is what I want, Bella. Are you sure that this is what you want? Because you need to be sure." His eyes darkened almost to black and Bella felt her pulse accelerate at the almost feral look in his eyes.

"I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, so please be sure that this is what you want because this time I will not leave you until you send me away and even then I will probably turn into a stalker, and you need to be sure because I am here to stay for the next fifty or sixty years... at least."

His eyes bored into hers but Bella couldn't look away.

"More than anything." She licked her suddenly dry lips, "I want this – you – us more than anything."

Edward smiled up at her as he pulled her gently until she folded herself onto his lap.

"Thank God!" Edward whispered before his lips met hers.

Bella's heart was racing as she felt his tongue sweep across her lip, causing her to open her mouth to him. Her hands buried themselves in Edward's hair and she reveled in the feel of the impossibly soft strands.

Edward's had to force his hands to be gentle as he held her to his body. He wanted to lay her on the sofa and cover her body with his.

Edward pulled away and he pressed his forehead against hers as they panted softly, their breath mixing.

"Edward… I've never felt this way before…" Bella gasped.

Edward groaned, "Jeez baby, don't say things like that to me! I am so hard for you right now."

Bella felt a warm blush spread over her body as pins and needles prickled in her stomach and lower.

"Hmmm…" she moaned.

Edward pulled back slightly to give them some 'breathing time' but he kept Bella in the circle of his arms.

After a few minutes Bella lifted her head and she looked at him with a sad face.

"I need to go and see Ned." She said quietly.

Edward wanted to protest. He wanted to stop her and tell her that he would sort it out but he stopped himself. He knew that his parents were right and that this was something that Bella had to do herself.

He nodded, "Why don't you go and see him before he comes over later. That way you can avoid making him feel uncomfortable in front of everyone?"

Bella's fingers were still playing with the hair at the nape of his neck and it took her a few seconds to remember what they had been talking about. She let her fingers trail over his neck before she pushed herself to her feet.

She gave an exaggerated sigh, "Good idea. I'd better go now then." She gave Edward a lingering look as she turned away from him.

"Bella!"

She turned back, "Hmm?"

"I would like to come back home with you later and maybe we can continue, um 'getting to know each other' better?" The tips of Edward's ears turned pink and Bella giggled.

"I can't wait." She said with a suggestive grin.

"I think that I have created a monster!" Edward laughed as they dressed in boots, hats, scarves, gloves and coats.

When they got downstairs, Edward pulled Bella towards him, "I am proud of the way that you have handled this, sweetheart."

Bella frowned, "Ned's going to hate me…"

Edward smiled at the pout on her lips and he wanted nothing more than to suck her lower lip into his mouth and pepper her with kisses until the scowl and pout disappeared.

"He won't hate you, but he will respect you for talking to him rather than letting him make a fool of himself."

Bella nodded and she climbed into her car and Edward watched her pull out of the driveway before he turned and walked inside.

He walked into the kitchen to find his father standing at the counter nursing a mug of coffee.

"Hey Dad."

Carlisle smiled, "Did you just come from Bella's?"

Edward nodded, 'Yeah, we had some talking to do, you know, things to clear up. She's gone to talk to Ned." He poured himself a mug and Carlisle nodded to his study with a simple, 'join me'.

They settled themselves in the two armchairs that faced the fireplace and sat in silence for a while before Carlisle spoke.

"You love her?"

Edward nodded as he stared into the fire. "More than life itself."

Carlisle nodded, "She has a lot of growing up to do, son."

Edward turned to look at his father, "I know that Dad and I was prepared to give her more than enough freedom to do just that, but she is pushing for a commitment from me and quite frankly, I want to be in a committed relationship with her but I'm afraid that Bella is more influenced by her hormones right now than anything else. She's only eighteen, for fuck's sakes, Dad! What if I'm just some passing faze! What if she decides in a couple of years, when I'm pushing thirty that I'm too old for her?"

Edward sat forward and put his mug on a side table before he buried his hands in his hair and pulled at the ends anxiously.

Carlisle waited for Edward to get control of his emotions before he spoke up again.

"Edward, look at me." He waited until Edward sat up and looked at him.

"I'm going to tell you the exact same thing that I told Bella this morning – you two really need to communicate, son, but you know – nothing is certain in life, Edward. No one can guarantee that they are always going to be around or that they are always going to be madly in love with you forever."

Edward shook his head, 'Mom and you are still 'madly in love, and Jasper and Alice are blissfully happy as are Emmett and Rosie so why should I get anything less?"

Carlisle laughed aloud as he stared at his son. He looked up to find Jasper and Emmett in the doorway and waved them inside.

Edward frowned at the sight of his brothers. He loved and respected both men, but he hated when they made him feel as if he was still a kid and the 'baby' brother.

For once they seemed to sense that this was not a time to rag on their brother as they moved to sit on the old leather sofa against the wall.

"I suppose that you two have some 'advice' for me too?" Edward said sullenly with a raised eyebrow, silently challenging them to raise all sorts of objections.

Surprisingly it was Emmett that spoke up first, his face was almost somber and his normally twinkling eyes looked sad, "I almost had an affair after Rosie lost the baby…"

Edward gasped but as he looked at his father and brother, he realized that he was the only one not to know.

"_What_ – Em, _why_? How could you – dear lord, does, does she know…?" Edward didn't know what to say but Emmett held up a hand and smiled at him sadly.

"It was a long time ago, Ed and yes she knows and so do Mom, Jas and Dad. Look," Emmett sat forward and raked his hands through his hair in a gesture identical to Carlisle and Edward's.

"The story isn't a unique one, but what scared us, Rosie and I more than anything is that in a few short months, just by not communicating our grief and unhappiness to each other and by not having someone, like Dad or Jas to hold me accountable – we went from loving each other passionately to the point where I almost made a terrible, life-destroying mistake. That's what Dad was trying to say to you."

Jasper and Carlisle nodded in agreement before they all turned to look at Edward, "Marriage takes work! Being in love takes time and trouble and work. Staying together in this day and age takes work and effort and if you don't put in the hours, you will see your ass – that is something that I can guarantee! So along with promising to love and respect and honor her forever, you have to make a commitment to each other to work on your relationship every single day." He stabbed the air to emphasize his last words.

No one said anything while Emmett's words sank in but eventually Edward nodded, "I get it, I do, although I have the feeling that I will always be on the back foot with my Bella."

The other three men chuckled, "Now you are wising up, Bro!" Jasper said and the mood lightened considerably.

Brady came running into the study. He spied his father and quickly ran over to him, "Momma said that you gots to come to da table, daddy." Everyone smiled at his gruff little voice.

"Yay! Lunch is ready! Are you hungry son?"

Brady nodded as Jasper stood up and picked him up, "I'm gonna eat a million, trillion things b'coz I gots to growed up strong to marry my Belle!"

Emmett clamped a hand on Edward's shoulder as he leaned in close, "Yeah, you are going to have to break your nephew's heart, bro."

Edward groaned but before he could say anything, Jasper spoke, "I know that you like Bella, buddy, but remember I told you that Uncle Eddie also likes her?"

Brady nodded as he gave Edward a dark look, "Yeah?"

Jasper smiled gently, "Well, I think that Bella is going to marry someone who is older than you, someone like Uncle Eddie, but you will always be her special man."

Brady was frowning before he looked at his father, "I'm gonna hafta talk to my Belle about dis, Daddy. She gots some 'spainin' to do!"

Carlisle, Emmett and Edward followed behind Jasper and Carlisle chuckled as he remembered that Bella had promised to go sledding with Ned, "I think that Bella has lots of 'spainin' to do today, son!"

=====HS=====

Bella pulled up outside Lauren and Quill's B&B. She took a deep breath and got out of her car just as Ned was walking out of the front door.

He looked up and grinned when he saw Bella standing next to her Beetle.

"Merry Christmas Bella! What a cheerful looking car." Bella cringed inside at his happy tone.

"Merry Christmas Ned. Um, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ned walked down the path and Bella rolled her eyes as she watched the curtains move in the window. She knew that Lauren would be on the phone in seconds, regardless of the fact that it was Christmas.

Ned frowned slightly, "Nothing's wrong, I hope." He began.

"Um, can we walk a bit?" Bella asked and without waiting for an answer she turned and walked over the road to the common.

Ned followed her and soon they were walking towards the gazebo. It was covered in snow, but Bella knew that it was swept clean each morning by a well meaning resident.

Once inside the gazebo Bella leaned against the low wall and forced herself to look Ned in the eyes.

"Ned, I owe you an apology. I should never have said that I will go sledding with you tomorrow. You see, um, Ed –" she stuttered as she felt her face burn with shame.

"Bella – stop. I would have to be blind not to notice how Edward looks at you. I wasn't sure if you reciprocated those feelings and, well, I only really know a few people in town and I knew that you were also new to the area. It's fine, really. Yes, I'm disappointed, because – well, y-you are a v-very beautiful w-woman but we can still be friends, right?"

Bella felt herself returning his tentative smile and she took two steps to take his outstretched hand in hers.

"I would love to be your friend Ned. And I hope that you will still come sledding tomorrow. Come with us – we are all going together with the kids."

Ned found himself smiling and agreeing to join the Cullen's to go sledding the next day. As he followed Bella's cheer yellow Beetle to the Cullen's he wondered how Bella had managed to get him to fall under her spell so quickly and a small part of him was relieved that he was only her friend – Edward Cullen was going to have his work cut out for him with that one, he thought with a snigger.

Nonetheless, he found himself hurrying in response to Bella's call when they climbed out of their cars.

Bella rushed over to Edward's side once she had discarded her outer garments and she slipped on the pair of ballet slippers that she had teamed with her outfit.

Edward stood chatting with Carlisle, Kebi and Amun Malek.

Ned watched as Bella curled into Edward's side so naturally as his arm wound around her waist and without pausing, Edward dropped a tender kiss to Bella's head.

Esme caught Ned's pensive gaze and she offered him a soft smile as Carlisle called him over.

"Ned, I think that you know Amun, and this is his wife, Kebi, who is a renowned OB/GYN at Mercy."

Ned greeted the beautiful woman before he shook hands with Amun. The Maleks were a good looking couple as both were tall and slender with copper colored skin. Amun had threads of silver in his black hair.

Amun smiled at Edward and Bella, "You two look good together." He said quietly.

Bella loved his and Kebi's soft French accents and she found herself blushing furiously under everyone's amused scrutiny.

Edward chuckled next to her as she instinctively tried to move closer to his side, "Amun, you are embarrassing our girl, you dreadful tease!" Esme admonished playfully before she raised her voice.

"Come on everyone, dinner is going to be served in a few minutes!"

=====HS=====

Hours later the kitchen had been cleaned, all the wrapping paper had been cleared away and the children had been bathed and put to bed. Bella sat between Edward's legs with her back pressed against his chest as she stared into the crackling fire.

Esme and Carlisle were lounging on the loveseat, while Jasper and Alice sprawled on the long sofa. Emmett was cuddling Rosalie on his lap as soft music played.

"Are you happy love?" Edward's voice rumbled in his chest.

Bella sighed contentedly, "So very happy. Today has been so much more than I had ever imagined what a holiday with a real family would be like."

Edward's arms tightened around her and his soft lips brushed her neck, "This is only the beginning, sweet girl. There is a lifetime of holidays for us. Are you ready to go home and catch up on some 'alone time'?"

He chuckled at her enthusiastic nodding, before his eyes darkened perceptibly. Bella could feel her heart beating wildly as she said good night to the family and they made their way up to her apartment.

Earlier in the evening, Alice and Rosalie had cornered Bella alone and they had apologized for giving her 'inappropriate' advice. Esme and Carlisle had taken the girls aside earlier and while Esme had displayed her displeasure at the way that they were 'playing with Bella as if she was a human Barbie doll', Carlisle had been more pragmatic as he had pointed out that Bella needed more 'level-headed' guidance as she had not had a normal upbringing.

Once her door was closed, she jumped nervously at the sound of the lock snapping into place.

"Isabella."

Every hair on Bella's body stood up at the sound of her name. Edward's voice was deep and sultry and slightly demanding.

She turned around to find him standing in the middle of the room. She licked her lips.

Edward held out his hand towards her, "Come to me love."

Bella didn't hesitate as she virtually flew into his arms and she was no longer nervous of what was to come.

**A/N: Hi everyone! I have to apologize for being so absent over the past few weeks. My car was stolen on the 9****th**** of March and ever since then things have been crazy! Work has been insane and so I must apologize for this chapter being late. I was five chapters ahead a month ago and now I am behind! Real life sucks big time, but I must thank each and everyone for their words of encouragement and love for this story. Thank you for your reviews and PM's. I promise to write like a demon in the coming days to catch up and I will post on time next week.**

**My love and thanks to Fiorella for her awesome willingness to drop everything to help me out – love you chick!**

**Love, hugs and kisses,**

**Michele**


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

***** Please note that this chapter is UN-BETA'D and any and all mistakes are MINE!*****

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 18 – **_

_Once her door was closed, she jumped nervously at the sound of the lock snapping into place._

"_Isabella"_

_Every hair on Bella's body stood up at the sound of her name. Edward's voice was deep and sultry and slightly demanding._

_She turned around to find him standing in the middle of the room. She licked her lips._

_Edward held out his hand towards her, "Come to me love."_

_Bella didn't hesitate as she virtually flew into his arms and she was no longer nervous of what was to come._

**CHAPTER 19 – LESSONS AND LESSONS**

"… and what would you say the answer is – Isabella?" The sound of her name brought Bella back to her present surroundings with a jerk and she quickly looked away from the window to the man standing at the front of the classroom

Her cheeks colored delicately and Mark Watson-Smythe, the professor of English that most of Bella's fellow female and more than a few male students lusted over regularly smiled.

Mark's navy blue eyes twinkled as he took in the lovely blush on Bella's cheeks, "Sleep when you are dead, Isabella, come on – tell me why is Romeo and Juliet hailed as one of the most romantic stories ever told?" Mark kept his tone deliberately scornful as he addressed her. He had noticed how popular the lovely Isabella Swan was and how she never seemed to take any notice of the attention that she garnered from the men or the envious looks that she received from the women around her. From what he had seen and heard, all that Bella was interested in at Johnson was obtaining her degrees. Part of her allure was that she was so damn smart. Mark and her other teachers all agreed that Bella Swan was one of the brightest and most enthusiastic students that had graced the halls of Johnson College for many years.

She was like a sponge that just soaked up information. From what he had heard, Bella was always studying, completing extra tasks for additional credits and was either found at the library or at the small boarding house where she stayed during the week, typing away on some paper or another.

A student clearing his throat brought Mark back to the classroom and he regarded Bella for a moment.

Bella's eyes narrowed at the slightly scornful tone of Professor Watson-Smythe's voice and her chin went up in defiance as her angry eyes met his amused ones defiantly, "Romeo and Juliet has to be one of the most ridiculous stories out there today and I don't understand why Shakespeare would write something like that in the first place!"

A smattering of laughs and a few 'here' here's from the guys could be heard against the shocked squeaks of the women in the room.

Mark's eyebrows shot up as Bella refused to look away from him in silent challenge, "William Shakespeare must have led a god-awful life if he thought that two teenagers killing themselves and destroying two families and an entire city was romantic! Juliet sees herself as 'in love' with Romeo after just one look!" Bella scoffed.

"Have you never been in love, Miss Swan?" Bella wanted to slap the smirk off his good-looking face.

Although she could feel the heat radiating from her face, Bella narrowed her eyes at the stupid dick that thought that he was god's gift to the female population and it was her turn to smirk, "I _am_ in love and believe me, I have never felt the need to 'off' myself as a declaration of my love!"

Just as Mark opened his mouth to challenge her once more, the bell rang but the students knew better than to try to leave until they saw who would win Bella's latest sparing debate.

"Touché, Miss Swan." He reluctantly turned his attention to the rest of the class, "Okay, I want your papers on Shakespeare by Friday, people – don't let me down." His hazel eyes snapped to where Bella was packing her laptop into her backpack.

"Isabella – may I see you for a moment?"

Bella groaned but she quickly made her way to his desk, "Yes Professor?"

Mark rolled his eyes, "How many times have I told you to call me Mark?" he asked playfully.

"How many times have I told you that it is not appropriate and I don't feel comfortable calling you that _Professor_ Watson-Smythe?" Bella said as she shifted from one foot to the other.

Mark leaned back on his desk, he pushed some of his hair out of his eyes and gave Bella the full benefit of his boyish smile and Bella wanted to roll her eyes again but refrained.

She supposed that he was good-looking in his own, boy-next-door way. His floppy hair and his crinkly warm eyes made women of all ages go weak at the knees, but Bella was immune to his rakish charm. He was tall at just over six feet or there about and he had long legs that were usually covered by a pair of jeans that fitted him well and Bella had to admit that the t-shirts or button down shirts and hoodies that he wore, suited him and made him look even younger than his thirty or so years.

Bella had noticed that the lecturers, professors and teaching staff of Johnson College were more casual in their dress than a lot of institutions although most of the staff refrained from wearing jeans to work with the exception of course of some of the younger faculty members, including the impossible Mark Watson-Smythe. His British accent and English charm had grown his 'fan-club' exponentially ever since he had arrived the year before from Stanford for a five year contract.

The English faculty head was thrilled to be able to offer the post to a man with Mark's 'boy-genius' reputation. Mark had flown through school, matriculating when he was just sixteen and he had graduated with a degree in English and an offer to teach at Oxford University at the tender age of twenty three. After he had completed his Masters and was half way through his PHD and teaching at Stanford for a year, he had received an offer from the President of Johnson College, and after giving it some thought, Mark decided to move to Vermont.

He had been breaking hearts ever since, but it seemed that the enchanting Miss Swan was immune to his charms.

The only man that made Bella weak at the knees was Edward.

"Okay, Bella, have it your way. Look, what I wanted to tell you is that you already have extra credits for my class so if you want to take it easy-"

Bella cut him short, "That's not necessary, Professor, I've almost finished my paper – you will have it on Friday morning." She said dismissively as she made her way across the floor towards the door as the next class of students began to filter inside.

Mark nodded, "Okay, but you've already made the Dean's List Bella, what's next?"

Bella flashed him a smile that was full of mischief, "The President's List of course!"

He watched as she quickly left the room. In his eight years of teaching he had never been as tempted by a freshman as he was by Bella Swan. Once she had found her feet, there had been no stopping her.

With a sigh and a mental note to keep his mind off eighteen year old gorgeous students with expressive brown eyes, Mark turned to his class.

=====HS=====

Bella made her way across campus to the Student's centre. She had a meeting with her advisor and she didn't want to be late. She could not believe that she had only five weeks before finals began as the end of the academic year loomed ahead. Spring break was just over two weeks away and then finals began.

She had been sad to say goodbye to Edward and the rest of Hope Springs, but by the time that January was half way through, Bella had resettled into life as a full time student, and part-time girlfriend.

After a long discussion with Carlisle, Jasper and Edward, Bella had decided to take English as her double major. She knew that it was going to be hard work, but she loved the language and she wanted to be able to teach up to grade twelve just in case, although she couldn't imagine teaching a classroom full of fifteen year olds!

Once her plan was in place, Bella spent a few days with Edward, mapping out the next three years of her academic career.

Edward was all about preparation and Bella could see how he had graduated top of his class and she teased him about his 'nerdish' tendencies.

Of course that led to tickling and 'other things'. Bella shivered, although not from cold. They had yet to make love, but that was in the 'plans' as well.

Ever since Christmas night, Edward and Bella had been getting more intimate with each other.

Bella thought back to that night…

"_Come to me love"_

_Bella heart raced as she flew into his arms. Edward had let out a deep laugh as he lifted her so that her legs were wrapped around his waist._

"_Such an eager girl" he teased as his lips nibbled her earlobe._

_Bella giggled as she wove her fingers into his hair._

"_Can we go to bed now?" she asked._

_Edward groaned, "Jeez, Bella! Are you trying to kill me? I think that we need to talk, love." He said as he made his way over to the sofa._

_He pushed Bella backwards slightly so that every inch of her wasn't pressed against him._

_When he looked up Bella was pouting at him and he got a flash of what her daughter would look like one day._

_Edward patted Bella legs that were nestled on either side of his thighs and he realized with a pang that her dress had ridden up almost to the juncture of her thighs and even though she was wearing thick winter tights, his hands felt oddly intimate on her otherwise bare legs._

"_Maybe you should change…" he suggested thickly._

_Bella's eyes flashed at him in warning, "if I change now, I'm not putting anything else on, because I sleep naked, so…" she arched her eyebrow delicately and grinned as she watched Edward swallow nervously._

"_No! No, this, um, this is fine." _

_Bella hid her face with her hair as she hummed noncommittally, as she hid the glint in her eyes, but Edward knew her too well and she yelped when she felt a sharp tap on her ass._

_Her head shot up, "Hey!"_

_Edward was unrepentant as he grinned at her knowingly, "I'm on to you, Isabella Swan now – behave!"_

"_Oh, okay!" Bella said petulantly and she slid off his lap and stood before him pouting._

"_Will a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt suffice?" She asked haughtily._

"_That should be perfect, love." He said mildly and he grinned as Bella flounced off towards her bedroom dramatically._

_He quickly pulled his own sweater off and toed his shoes off and he put them beside the front door._

_After he turned the lights a little lower he sprawled out on the sofa once more._

_Bella padded into the room a few minutes later and she silently climbed onto the sofa and sat down on her knees so that they were the same height._

_Edward could see how excited she was by her elevated breathing and rosy cheeks. He knew that they would not be making love any time soon and he wondered if Bella would lose patience with him. _

_Edward smiled indulgently, "This is just as frustrating for me as it is for you, Isabella, but this isn't a race! Foreplay is supposed to be savored and enjoyed. It's not just a prelude for 'going at it like bunnies!"_

_In spite of her turbulent mood, Bella snorted in a very unladylike manner and once again, the tension was broken. Edward moved so that his legs were on either side of Bella before he leaned forward and pressed his nose along the side if Bella's face, barely skimming the soft skin._

"_Foreplay is all about feeling…wanting…" Bella swallowed as she felt his fingers brush against the sides of her neck, tracing the curve of her shoulders._

_Suddenly Bella felt as if her lungs were going to explode and she let out a gust of air that she had been holding in._

_Edward chuckled tenderly, "It's a good idea to breathe regularly, love."_

_Bella huffed but she could not stop the small smile that played on her mouth as she ran her hands around to Edward's chest and her nimble fingers began to unbutton them._

"_Oh hush you!"_

_Jokes were forgotten as lips sought each other out and gentle, teasing caresses became more groping and firmer._

_And then Bella was lying on her back with Edward between the delta of her legs, his hardened bulge pressing and grinding into her soft heat as she undulated her hips in response to his silent call._

"_Fuck, Edward, please, harder…" Bella pleaded as she felt the same tug and pull in the pit of her stomach._

_Edward cleared his head enough to know what she needed and he ignored his weeping cock to press the heel of his hand against the most demanding part of her._

_His hot mouth tickled her ear, "Cum for me Isabella – let go for me, beautiful. Fuck love, you are so beautiful. I want to see you cum…that's it… let go…"_

_Bella's back arched off the sofa as she let out a silent scream as her world shattered into fragments of sensation._

_Edward stroked her gently as she came down and he knew just when to let her go as he eased off her body._

_Bella's eyes fluttered before she shyly met his gaze._

"_Hi"_

"_Hi"_

_There were so many things that he could have said but he didn't want the moment to be cheapened and so he leaned down and kissed her tenderly._

"_You are so beautiful, Bella." _

_Bella blushed from pleasure at his compliment, but she didn't look away, "You make me feel beautiful. Thank you for that," she waved her hand over her lower self, "No one has ever made me feel like that before."_

"_I am honored that you waited for me Sweetheart." _

_Bella pulled back slightly, "What about you? I need to-"_

"_You don't need to do anything, Bella. Remember we are in this together?" he said as he pressed his mouth to hers._

_Bella shook her head and stared into his green eyes, "But I want to, Edward, show me how to please you?"_

_Edward nodded as her small hands moved down the front of his shirt to where his buckle rested. Bella bit her bottom lip as she stared into his dark eyes and she let one hand cup the hard bulge while the other tried to unbuckle his belt. Finally she growled in frustration and the light grip that she had on his dick tightened causing him to groan out loud._

"_Get it off!" she hissed as she felt Edward's abdominal muscles twitch in response to her hand movements._

_Within seconds Edward had undone his belt, his zipper and his jeans were hanging off his hips in the most delectable way. Bella licked her lips as she rose up on her knees. She growled again when she almost fell off the sofa and frowned._

"_This is too small to do anything – let's move to my bed." Bella said._

_Edward squeezed his eyes closed as he took deep breathes to clear his head. He knew that if they moved to the bed, he would not rest until he had taken Bella and made her his in every carnal way possible._

"_Bella…" he moaned as he felt her two small hands reach into his underwear and when her fingers closed around his cock, he almost came._

_His hand shot out to still Bella's movements._

"_Bella, baby, please stop… you're killing me here… just give me a second to catch my breath."_

_Bella was kneeling between his legs and when he spoke she raised her eyes to his face._

_She could see the blatant evidence of how worked up he was as she felt the velvety soft tip of his penis leak precum onto her fingertips._

"_Fuck! Bella, god that feels so fucking good, baby. Hmmm…" _

_Bella smiled as she brushed his hand away and pulled his underwear down so that she could see what she was doing._

_Bella gasped when she saw the Prince Albert piercing on his cock, but Edward didn't react. Instead he gave her a chance to 'explore' on her own._

_After a couple of minutes that seriously 'killed' him, Bella began to move her hand. Suddenly she stopped and Edward groaned as she gently flicked the piercing._

"_Oh fuck – so good!"_

_Bella couldn't stop her grin as she twisted her hand as she reached the top of his dick, touching the piercing and the way that Edward's back arched off the sofa each time she did that._

_At last Edward opened his eyes but the sight before him almost had him losing control again._

_Bella knelt between his open legs. Her hair which had grown long fell in a chocolaty curtain so that he could not see her eyes, but he could see the way her little tongue swiped her bottom lip, over and over in time with her hands._

_One hand stayed around his girth, shifting and molding. Every now and again Bella would slow down and her thumb would gently brush the tip before she would use the moisture to lubricate her palm._

_Her other hand had wondered down and she was gently rolling and squeezing his balls and Edward noticed that Bella was rhythmically squeezing her thighs together and shifting as she tried to find some friction. The thought that she was aroused by arousing and pleasuring him, make his dick even harder._

_Bella noticed and she giggled before she leaned forward and Edward sucked in a breath sharply and held it._

"_You are very tempting, you know…" Bella whispered and before Edward knew it, she had leaned down and her cat-like tongue had licked some of the leaking moisture off his tip before she flicked the piercing ring with her tongue._

"_Move Bella!" Edward shouted as he tried to lift Bella off him, but she put one hand over the tip, while she gave his shaft a firm squeeze and Edward erupted into her waiting hand._

_Bella felt a gush of moisture between her legs as she felt Edward ejaculate into her hand. Some of the cum had gone over her chest and Bella made a quick decision and whipped her top over her head before she began to clean herself and Edward's stomach off._

_She looked up and smirked. Edward looked as if he was in the middle of a great dream and she felt proud that she had been able to get that sort of reaction from him._

_Slowly his eyes fluttered open and they widened as they took in the pale sheer lavender bra._

"_Um, where's your top?" Edward's voice was scratchy and thick._

_Bella shrugged as she pointed to her rolled up shirt that was laying on the coffee table. "I um, used it to clean up, you know…" Bella's cheeks heated up as she looked down to where Edward's cock had nestled into his neatly trimmed groin. _

_Bella gnawed on her lip but she couldn't help herself._

"_Did, um, did that hurt?" _

_Edward smiled and he moved against the back of the sofa and held out his arm in a silent invitation._

_Bella didn't hesitate as she curled up against his body, but made sure that she could see his face._

"_My Prince Albert?"_

"_Huh? Your prince what?" Bella began to laugh and soon she was doubled up, flat out howling as Edward stared at her in confusion._

_When she had simmered down to an occasional snort, she asked, "Why do you call your 'thingy' that?"_

_Edward frowned, "my what?" Suddenly comprehension dawned on him and he let out a loud bark of laughter, "Oh my God, Bella, I don't call my cock Prince Albert – that is what the piercing is called!"_

_And with that they fell about in fits of laughter again. Edward got up and used the bathroom, while Bella put her shirt into the washing machine and she quickly put on a pair of her coveted pajamas. When Edward came out of the bathroom, Bella could see that he had splashed water on his face and she did the same before she washed her hands and joined him in the sitting room again._

_This time Edward was sitting up and Bella noticed with disappointment that his pants were rebuckled and his shirt hand been rebuttoned._

_Edward noticed her standing at the door and motioned her over, "Come over here, love."_

_Bella climbed on the sofa and sat facing Edward, with her arms wrapped around her knees._

"_Are you okay, love?"_

_Bella nodded, "Yep, I just wish that we had gone further…"_

_Edward smiled, "Always so impatient, Sweetheart! Remember, we are going to savor each moment until we are both ready to make that final step."_

"_Can we still go to third base?" Bella asked and Edward snorted at the fifth grade term._

"_What's third base?" he challenged._

_Bella smirked, "Well, it's what I wanted to do, but did quite get to – you know – 'oral stimulation'!" She said as she turned scarlet._

_Edward sniggered but then he felt sorry for making her feel embarrassed and he moved closer to her and put his hand on her hot cheek as he looked deeply into her eyes._

"_I very much want to go to third base with you Isabella. I can't wait to taste you, Sweetheart."_

_Bella shivered at the sexy tone of Edward's voice._

A voice shouting made Bella jump and she could feel her face burning as she realized that she was still standing in front of the Student Center.

She quickly checked the time on her phone and gave a sigh of relief when she realized that she was still five minutes early.

A quick shake of her head to clear it and Bella quickly made her way to the first floor where Abby Wentworth was waiting for her.

Abby Wentworth was the complete opposite of what a scatter-brained academic should look like. She was tall and slim with light brown hair and pretty hazel eyes. She always looked put professional in a smart-casual way.

She looked up with a smile as Bella walked into the small private sitting area. "Hi Bella!"

Bella smiled as she began to take of the layers of winter clothing before she flopped into a chair.

"Hey Abby, how's things going?"

Abby smiled, "fine, but I should be asking you that, young lady!"

Bella snorted, "Whatever 'Mother', but you are only a few years older than me."

After a few minutes of banter the two women fetched cups of coffee before they settled down.

Abby pulled a thick file from her briefcase and looked at the sheaf of papers there, while she glanced at her opened laptop.

"Hmm, well, I've just received your latest test scores, and Bella I am thrilled to tell you that you have achieved a 4.0 grade average, even with your additional classes and declaring both majors! That is fantastic!"

Bella blushed with pleasure as she grinned back at Abby.

"You know that there were some people that didn't think that you would be able to cope with two Majors given your background of academic weakness, right?"

Bella nodded curtly. She was well aware of her critics around the college and if it had not been for her exceptional scores, she knew that she would never have been able to do a second major. It was only with the intervention of the President of the college, Carlisle's friend that she had been given the opportunity to begin with although there had been certain conditions attached.

Such as that she had to maintain at least a 3.0 or a 'B' grade point average; she was not allowed to have any incomplete or late assignments, which so far she had been able to comply with.

Abby smiled at her, "Bella, your family has been contacted and now you are being informed that you are to be honored at the Honors Convocation next month." She said as her eyes glowed with pride.

Bella stared at her blankly, "Huh?"

"Oh God, Bella! You really need to dig yourself out of your books every now and again! The Honors Convocation is sort of like an assembly where students that have made extraordinary achievements in sport or the community or academically are honored and you have been chosen and I quote, _"To honor Miss Isabella Marie Swan for her outstanding academic achievement of obtaining more than two thirds of the required credits for the academic year within a single semester and for obtaining a 3.98 grade point average in that time."_ Abby sat back with a proud smile.

Bella blinked as the news set in.

"Really?"

Abby nodded, "Really! Are you excited?"

"Well yeah, I guess so, I mean, it doesn't change anything really does it?"

"What it means is that your academic achievements have not gone unnoticed and you should be proud of what you have achieved so far! You know, you have already completed the GECC** for this year and now you are just earning extra credits while you are working on your English Major – that is amazing Bella, so now, I want to know how you are coping with your English classes and your new lecturers."

Bella rolled her eyes, "You mean that you just want to gossip about 'Mr. I'm so cute because I'm British – Mark Watson-Smythe." Bella sniggered at the faint blush on Abby's cheeks.

"What? No! Never!"

"Whatever! Okay, so this is what I've been doing…"

The two women spent the next hour discussing Bella's schedule and the classes that she was going to take over the summer.

Abby tried to dissuade her about summer school, but Bella was adamant. She wanted to graduate as soon as possible and if that meant that she needed to attend summer school to achieve that, then that was what she was going to do!

Finally Abby sat back, "Okay! Phew! I'm exhausted just listening to you, Miss Swan! Wow Bella, this is quite an academic plan that you have put together. Did you come up with this on your own?"

Bella shook her head, "No, my, well, I guess you could call him my 'adopted' brother, Jasper and my 'adopted' father Carlisle helped me to put this all together so that I could see if I was able to cope with everything, you know?"

Bella ran a hand through her hair and continued, "Well, once we had mapped it all out, and I had added the summer school classes that I want to take, it all looks doable although Carlisle insists that I take two months off over summer." She said with a dramatic roll of her eyes.

Abby nodded in agreement, "Well, I'm sure that your boyfriend, Edward is it? I'm sure that Edward will be happy about that. Do you have plans for summer yet?"

"Well, Edward and I may be going to Santa Barbara for a few weeks where he volunteers at a rehab facility and then I was thinking about going to Phoenix to look up some of my father's friends."

Bella explained that she had been contacted by one of Charlie's closest friend whom Emmett had spoken to when he was in Arizona. Captain Garrett Pace had sent Bella an email explaining who he was. He sounded like a nice man and Edward had encouraged Bella to contact him, which she had done. This had led to more emails and then she had received an invitation to an independence day celebration at which time, fallen police officers were to be honored including Charlie Swan.

After much deliberation and confirming with Edward and Carlisle, Bella had accepted the invitation on the condition that Edward, Carlisle and Esme would accompany her.

Garrett had been thrilled and he immediately contacted some of the 'old gang' that had worked with Charlie to set up a 'reunion' dinner/wake for when Bella got to Phoenix.

=====HS=====

That evening Bella took a break after dinner to phone Edward.

"Hey Sweetheart, how are you?" Bella sighed at the sound of his velvety smooth voice.

She looked outside at the dark night and smiled, "I'm fine, tired but fine. So are we still on for the weekend?"

Edward chuckled, "Of course. I still think that you girls only won the Karaoke Festival grand prize and that damn gnome because you were almost attacked, but hey, I'm not complaining - because I get to spend three days with my love, even though we have to have my numbskull brothers along for the drive!"

Bella giggled and she could feel herself blushing fiercely. She and Edward had made steady progress in their exploration of bases one, two and three and they had decided by mutual consent that they were going to 'go all the way' on this weekend.

The lodge that they were going to was the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, which was only about a half an hour from Johnson. Everyone was driving up to fetch her on Friday, as it was the last weekend that they could claim their prize which was only valid until the end of March and they would be bringing her back on Monday morning.

Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper were getting a two bedroom villa to share, while Edward had paid a little extra but he had secured one of their honeymoon suites without telling Bella. He wanted to make sure that their first time was special and although his brothers had teased him, they had both told him how pleased they were with his decision and how much they concurred with his decision. Edward was nervous and he and Carlisle had chatted on a couple of occasions over the past two months about his and Bella's relationship. Edward loved the fact that he could go to his parents or his brothers and talk about his innermost fears.

He was relieved to find out that each man had his own set of insecurities that he had to conquer regarding satisfying the women in their lives.

Bella's giggle brought Edward back to their present conversation.

"Are you excited, love?"

"Yeah, and maybe a little nervous. Okay, a lot nervous, but it's all good – I spoke to your mom the other night." Bella confessed.

Over the past months, Bella had gotten over her shyness and she had begun to speak to Esme as a mother and friend. Even though some of the conversation was a little too close to home, with Edward being her son, Esme had made sure that she listened to Bella and advised her just the same way that she would hopefully be advising Bree in a few years.

"Hmm, how is that working for you? Having Mom as a sex consultant?" Edward said as he felt his permanent semi hard on deflate a little bit at the thought of his mother giving his girlfriend 'sex tips'!

Bella laughed at the choking sounds that Edward made, "Oh stop it, silly! May-May has been great, you know. We don't talk positions or anything," she laughed at his loud, 'GROSS!'

"Well what do you talk about then?" he was curious because Bella, Esme, Alice, Rosalie and Bree had spent a couple of afternoons 'out' doing 'girl stuff' and he knew that they talked.

Bella snorted, "You know, you are as nosey as your brothers – but really, we have just had some discussions about relationships and expectations in relationships and remember Brianna was there for some of our talks, so it was all very G-rated, Honey. Don't worry; the kinky stuff has stayed between your older sisters and me!"

Edward grimaced slightly but he was relieved nonetheless that his mother would not know everything about his sex life.

"Okay, good. Hey! Dad phoned me to say that you are being given an award at the Honors Convocation next month, love, which is wonderful!"

Bella was still a little bemused by the news and she tried to shrug it off, "Oh it's nothing. They really must be low on candidates if they are giving me an award!" she said bitingly.

Bella frowned when her snide comment was met with silence instead of laughter as she had intended.

"Edward?"

"Bella," Bella frowned at the disapproval in his voice.

"What? It's no big deal, Edward; I don't even know why they told Carlisle." Bella grumbled.

"They phoned Carlisle because it is a big deal, Isabella. He is your sponsor for heaven's sake! You are a big deal to my family. You are a part of this family and what you have achieved in such sort a time is nothing short of amazing and your teachers and faculty heads recognize that and they want to honor your achievements! You didn't even tell us that you had made the Dean's List – my father received a letter of congratulations in the post. Why can't you just allow yourself to realize that you have worked fucking hard over the past six months Bella and you deserve all the recognition for your hard work!"

There was a tense silence as Bella felt the waves of Edward's exasperation and anger through the phone line. This wasn't a new argument for them and Bella knew that she had to work on her self-esteem issues while Edward realized that not every person was born into a family that gave each child a wonderful sense of self-worth like his family.

After a few moments Bella sighed, "I don't want to fight with you and honestly, I am proud of the amount of work that I've done. The fact that I've now completed the required credits for freshman year and I am working for extra credits is great."

Edward sighed quietly as he decided to let go of his anger, "Did you hand in your applications for summer classes and next semester?"

"I did. Abby was impressed at the plan that you, Carlisle and Jasper helped me draw up and she agreed that although it's a lot of work, it is doable – especially with summer school. Those course credits will go towards my EDU degree, and if I carry on like this, I may be able to graduate a semester early!"

Edward smiled at the enthusiasm in Bella's voice. "That is great, love, but I just don't want you to burn yourself out, okay? You need to take some time out to just enjoy college life."

Bella huffed, "You know I do, Edward, we have that stupid compulsory participation policy where we get a credit for just showing up to games and shit! And you know that I've gone to several of those stupid events!"

Edward chuckled quietly, "Okay my little 'bruiser' I'll let you off the hook for now. So, what are you wearing?"

Bella pulled her phone away from her ear and stared at it for a minute before she brought it back, "Edward Cullen, you are so fucking infuriating! Your mood swings are seriously going to do me in! By the way, did I tell you that 'smarmy' Watson-Smythe wanted to let me off the hook for my paper today?"

Edward's teasing mood immediately faded, and he stood up from where he had been lounging on his sofa, "What? Is he still harassing you, Bella? I'm going to have a word with-"

_Shit!_ Bella began to panic. She had not wanted to get Edward all riled up about her teachers; she had seen the damage that he could do when someone tried to hurt her.

"EDWARD, NO! Please, don't say anything! He wasn't inappropriate at all, I promise. He didn't try to even ask me out this time. Please, honey, please just let me handle this?"

Bella could hear Edward's labored breathing before he sighed in defeat and she was sure that he was pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Fine, but what time is your last class on Friday?"

"Actually it's Professor Watson-Smythe's class – English Lit in Thorsten Hall, room 112. I should be finished by two o'clock and I will meet you at Mrs.' B's, okay? Say at about three?"

"Sure, sure, love. Look, I should go and let you get some rest. You are going to rest now, aren't you?" Bella didn't hear the overtly innocent tone in Edward's voice, nor could she see how his eyes were narrowed as he quickly devised a plan.

"Yep, I'm just going to take William Shakespeare with me so that I can finish this damn paper for Watson-Smythe and be done with it! I really don't see the romance or brilliance in Romeo and Juliet, Edward, do you?"

Edward chuckled and a few minute later they said good night and Edward promised to call her the following day.

Once he switched the phone off, he threw it onto the counter and took a beer from the fridge, which he opened before he leaned against the counter and sighed.

Roscoe stared up at his master – he knew that something was wrong and it was more than just his human girl being gone for so long.

Edward snorted to himself, "I need to make sure that that 'little Lord Fauntleroy'*** fucker knows that Bella is off the market once and for all!" He said to himself and with a decisive nod he made his way upstairs after he had recycled his beer bottle.

Roscoe padded up the stairs and walked to his place in front of Bella's bedroom door. He missed his human girl – she made his master laugh more when she was with him.

He sighed and closed his eyes as he heard the shower in Edward's bathroom go on – maybe she was coming home soon…

=====HS=====

The rest of the week flew by and before Bella could take a breath it was Friday and she had made sure to hand in three of her four outstanding papers for the semester. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and although she had finals looming closer, Bella knew that she had never been more prepared for anything.

Ever since she had begun college, Bella had slowly realized that she was not the stupid, half-wit that she had always believed herself to be. She found that she could remember most lessons from the classroom just by having sat through the lecture. This made her homework assignments so much easier to complete. She loved sitting in the library checking her facts, and researching information. She loved to sit and read and ponder ideas, or what she had read and would often find herself being kicked out of the library long after the last person had left.

More than anything Bella loved learning. She loved to have her mind challenged and more than one of her lectures from her GECC had approached her to choose a major in their field. Choosing had not been easy and for a while Bella toyed with the idea of studying other subjects before she narrowed down and finally chose English as a second major.

Bella hurried to her final class of the day and she had just sat down when Mark Watson-Smythe walked in, greeting the students casually and winking at a few of Bella's classmates.

Bella snorted quietly as she watched her two friends, Casey and Brenda almost swoon as he walked past them in the front row along with all of the other 'fan club'. Bella was one of the only girls that sat towards the back of the room as the other girls vied for a coveted front row seat.

The room had four tiers of seats and Bella sat in the second to last row. She put her paper on her desk along with her notebook, legal pad and a pen but when she looked up she saw that Professor Watson-Smythe was standing on the tier below hers so that he was almost eye level with her.

"How are you Isabella?" He said quietly.

Bella tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a half smile, "Fine thanks." She muttered and opened up her laptop to dissuade any further conversation.

Mark moved back to the front of the classroom and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention before he began to teach.

As the bell rang, mark called out for the completed papers to be placed on his desk. Usually Bella was one of the last people to leave a room but this time she jumped out of her seat and stumbled as she virtually ran down the steps to the front of the room.

Mark dismissed a co-ed that he was talking to and turned to Bella.

"Just a moment Bella" he said as he turned to answer another question.

Bella was chewing her bottom lip with impatience and annoyance, as she became increasingly agitated.

_She was sick of this! Mark seemed to use every chance that he got to corner her albeit in a nonthreatening way, but still – it pissed her off! She was sick of the fact that just because she didn't put herself out 'there' and she wasn't sleeping with half of the Freshmen or Sophomores and she didn't get drunk every weekend, men seemed to assume that she was playing 'hard-to-get' – what they didn't realize was that she was. Not. The. Fuck. Interested! _

One of the guys that had asked her out previously walked passed her and made a quasi-hushed comment about being teacher's pet and Bella had finally had enough.

She swung around and opened her mouth when she saw Casey shake her head at Bella.

Bella took a deep breath and picked up her bag as her eyes narrowed at her teacher, "Good afternoon, Professor." She snapped before she looked at her friends and gave them a little wave and she left only to find Edward standing against the wall with one leg raised and his arms folded over his chest. The sight of Edward's long legs encased in his black jeans and biker boots, grey thermal top and black leather jacket was enough to make Bella pant lightly as she hurried over to him.

"Edward!" she squealed before she half hopped into his arms.

Edward laughed and caught her before he pulled her up against his hard body.

"Oh love! I have missed you something fierce! Lay one on me Sugar!" he growled and Bella laughed as she hurried to obey him, kissing him with complete abandon, not caring who saw them.

As she pulled away, she looked over Edward's should to see the angry glare of Mark Watson-Smythe.

Edward noticed the expression on her face and he swung around as he pulled her behind him in a subconscious move of protection.

Mark had been walking out of his classroom, intent on tracking Bella down to convince her to have coffee or dinner with him, when he saw her wrapped around a tall, good-looking man who obviously didn't belong at the college.

Mark could tell from Bella's entire body language that this man was the one that she was completely in love with.

Edward stiffened as he felt Bella tense up against him and keeping her close, he turned and looked at the man that was staring at Bella with such lust, while he glared at Edward with scorn, already judging him by what he was wearing.

"Slumming it Isabella?" he said in his clipped English accent.

"Edward this is my teacher, Mark Watson-Smythe. Professor, this is my boyfriend, _Doctor _Edward Cullen." Bella said coldly.

Mark could not hide his surprise at Edward's title – he had not been expecting to see Bella with an older man and a doctor. This man didn't look much like a doctor though, he seemed too dangerous for that profession.

Edward's eyes narrowed as he looked at the other man and he knew that Mark wanted Bella.

Edward's lip curled up as his eyes grew darker and Mark actually felt a little nervous and he took a step back. _Perhaps perusing Bella Swan wasn't worthwhile._

Mark nodded and he turned to walk in the opposite direction quickly.

Edward smirked and looked down at Bella, "Ready to go?"

Bella's mouth snapped shut and she just nodded. Edward slipped her bag over her shoulder, took her hand and led her outside. Before they reached the waiting truck, Bella heard her name being called.

"Bella! Is this _Edward_?" Bella smiled and pulled Edward to where Casey, Brenda and several other students stood.

"Honey, these are my friends Casey and Brenda and that's Jeff, Barry, Russell and Dash, guys this is my boyfriend Edward Cullen." Bella said quietly.

Edward greeted everyone before he turned to Bella, "Are you ready to leave, love?" He looked at their small circle with a smile, "I'm taking this adorable woman away for a much earned rest this weekend." He said.

As Edward helped Bella into his truck and he walked around to open his door he looked up at the building and he was sure that he saw the British professor standing at a window.

_Take that, fucker – she is mine!_

Edward drove to the boarding house and in no time at all they were on their way to Stowe. Edward smiled as he spotted Bella bouncing in her seat.

"Excited or nervous, love?" he asked as he put his hand on Bella's thigh.

He noticed the blush on Bella's pale cheeks as she bit her lip, "A little of both, I think. I've missed you and I'm excited to finally spend some time together."

Edward nodded, "Me too, love, me too." He raised their joined hands to his lips and Bella felt the first shiver of anticipation roll down her back.

She was suddenly less nervous – she couldn't wait to move their relationship forward once again.

**A/N: I know that I've been tardy, and I am sorry, but RL is really kicking my ass right now, so rather than keep you waiting even longer, you will be getting a couple of shorter chapters until I am up to scratch again. Thank you all so much for your support and love and for those of you who are wondering – I am looking to finish this story by the end of May or so and then I will take a break of about a month to begin writing A FAMILY LIKE OURS – I hope to begin posting around the 1****st**** week in July or so – but I will let you know closer to the time.**

**And yes, next chapter is ALL ABOUT EDWARD AND BELLA – ALONE AT LAST! I'm actually quite nervous to write my first 'vanilla' love scene in a while. I hope you like it and I'm counting on you to let me know if it works for you. **

**There are so many incredible stories on the go right now – this is one of the reasons that I have been tardy – I've been catching up on my reading this Easter Weekend! (Guilty as charged!).**

**One of them is Collisions – that has been translated into English from the original French by Milk40 (wonderful lady!) As far as I know this story is on TWCS - give it a try – you will not be disappointed!**

**My wonderful beta Fiorella needs some assistance with her story that she needed to take a break from – if anyone would like to assist her and is willing to be a sounding board/editor for her, then please pm me or contact me so that I can forward on to Fee. **

**Love you all – **

**Michele**

****GECC – General Education Core Curriculum is a collection of many subjects within the Liberal Arts category that students need to take in their freshman year.**

***** Little Lord Fauntleroy is an enchanting classic story that I loved to read as a child – if you don't know the story then go and read it! I have read most of this wonderful author's books and okay – I will admit it – I enjoy them even now! Little Lord Fauntleroy was written in 1886 by ****Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924)**,


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 19 – **_

_**Edward drove to the boarding house and in no time at all they were on their way to Stowe. Edward smiled as he spotted Bella bouncing in her seat.**_

"_**Excited or nervous, love?" he asked as he put his hand on Bella's thigh.**_

_**He noticed the blush on Bella's pale cheeks as she bit her lip, "A little of both, I think. I've missed you and I'm excited to finally spend some time together."**_

_**Edward nodded, "Me too, love, me too." He raised their joined hands to his lips and Bella felt the first shiver of anticipation roll down her back.**_

_**She was suddenly less nervous – she couldn't wait to move their relationship forward once again.**_

**CHAPTER 20 – WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?**

Edward was as nervous as a sixteen-year-old virgin as he drove them to the hotel in Stowe. He had wanted to take Bella away for Valentine's Day, but they had not been ready to take the 'next step', although it felt as if he had been waiting for Bella his entire life.

He looked over and noticed that Bella had fallen asleep and his mind drifted back to some of their 'lessons'.

_A month before, he had managed to coax Bella out of her apartment and he had taken her to dinner at the pub. Alistair still felt guilty about what had almost happened to Bella and he could not do enough for her, even going so far as to pack her 'care' packages for college so that she would have food to snack on while she pounded away at her laptop._

_After dinner, they had gone back to Edward's place and after letting Roscoe out for a run, Edward had lit the fireplace in the sitting room and Bella had piled the cushions high on the rug. Edward lowered the lights and had put on some easy listening CD before he lowered himself onto the cushions behind Bella with two glasses of wine._

_Bella smiled shyly at him as she took a glass from him._

"_Thank you… hmm this is nice, what is it?" she asked._

_Over the past few weeks, Bella had been exploring with different wines, and alcoholic beverages when she was home to find something that she enjoyed drinking. _

"_This is a Pinotage that is not too heavy and not too sweet, you would usually drink it with a red meat, or a winter stew or like right now, curled up in front of the fire with a beautiful someone special…" his voice became husky as he tucked a strand of her hair behind a perfectly shaped ear._

_Bella smiled with mischief, "Well then I must be doing it right, I feel slightly drunk being this close to you, Edward. You take my breath away…" Bella said breathlessly as her eyes darkened with lust._

_Edward smirked and took a sip of his wine, cocking his eyebrow and nodding with approval as Bella copied him._

_Edward put his glass onto the coffee table before he turned onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow._

_He trailed the fingers of his free hand down Bella's arm and he watched in delight as her skin got goose bumps where his fingers had been._

"_Edward… please…" his eyes looked up from her skin to her pitch black eyes. Bella's lips were cherry red, and moist from how she had been licking them. There were two high spots of color on her cheeks and her breath came in soft pants._

"_What is it love?" he hardly recognized his own voice._

_Bella's eyes begged for his understanding._

"_Please touch me." _

_Edward knew that she wasn't talking about how he was currently caressing the sliver of skin that was showing above her jeans._

_Up until then, Edward had been very careful to limit their touches to over the clothes, light petting with a couple of groin grinding sessions. He had done more laundry in the past couple of months and had more wet dreams than when he was a teenager._

_Although Alice and Rosalie had taken Bella shopping to In-X-SS – after their lectures from Esme and Carlisle, they had kept her purchases to lingerie and 'two small thingies' that Bella refused to elaborate on, although he had an idea that one of the toys was the famous rabbit that Alice and Rosalie were so fanatical about and the other… well Edward was guessing that it was some sort of bullet – another toy that his sisters-in-law were fond of. He remembered when he had gone to visit Emmett, only to find him hunched over a small electrical devise with a set of precision tools by his side, when he asked what it was, Emmett told him that it was 'BOB' – Rose's 'next best friend' – her bullet that had apparently 'died' suddenly the night before and Emmett had to promise to fix 'him' before he was allowed to finish making love to Rose._

_But now with Bella practically begging him, Edward felt his resolve dissolving._

_Suddenly he didn't care anymore, he needed more as well. He sat up and leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers, deepening the kiss as his tongue swept over her lip and she granted him access eagerly._

_Bella lay back against the pillows and her fingers went to her blouse, but Edward's fingers brushed hers away and for a moment she thought that he was going to stop her once again, but with a smirk she felt the cool air flow over her skin as Edward unbuttoned her shirt and brushed the two halves apart, exposing her matching midnight blue lace bra._

"_Oh my God, Bella, you are beautiful." He whispered reverently and he lowered his lips to her lace covered nipple._

The abrupt ringing of his phone startled him out of his day dream and he quickly answered it.

"Hey Bro, how far are you?" Emmett asked.

"We will be there in about fifteen minutes. Are you there yet?"

"Nah, we just left home. Rosie had an emergency surgery, Mrs. Dobbins cat got out again and attached the new postman's van."

Edward frowned, "Did the cat die?"

Emmett laughed, "You know that old coot will never die, I've told you, that cat is demonic – no, apparently when Geezer jumped into the van, the postman lost his shit and drove into the Blacks yard and he knocked Chowders over, but that dog is also virtually indestructible and he is fine. Rosie had to sedate him to stop him from trying to run around!"

Edward chuckled as he entered the 'welcome to Stowe' sign. "Okay, Em, we are almost there, I will see you at dinner, Bud."

"Eager much, baby bro?"

"Shut it, old man!"

Edward heard a sleepy giggle next to him and turned to see Bella rubbing her eyes in the most endearing childlike manner.

"Hey sweetheart, sorry to wake you."

Bella brushed her hair out of her eyes and looked around them, "Wow, are we here already? I didn't realise that I was so tired. I'm sorry that I was such back company."

Edward shook his head, "Nonsense love, besides you are going to need all you strength for this weekend!"

Bella gasped and her hand shot out to smack his hard abs. "Pervert! You are so disgraceful" she retorted and she sniffed haughtily.

"Fibber, you love it!" Edward quipped and Bella stifled a giggle.

"Okay, you know I do! So are we finally going to do this?"

Edward rolled his eyes, "Jeez Baby, you are so romantic. If by 'do it' you mean are we going to consummate our relationship and take it to the next level then yes we are, if you want to."

Bella shook her head and narrowed her gaze at him, "Like I said – we are going to do it and if you think for one minute that I am prepared to wait for you to find some other stupid excuse as to why we shouldn't get our freak on, then you have another think coming, mister! Unless of course you don't mind me using my new 'friends'."

Edward's head whipped around to stare at her open mouthed, "What? Don't tell me that you brought those… those… things with you?"

Bella shrugged as she feigned indifference, "Why not? You were the one that told me that it is perfectly natural to explore my sexuality and everyone that I've spoken to has agreed with you and I must say, I have learned quite a lot from my Bunny and my Egg." Bella turned to look out of the window as she tried to hide her smirk.

Alice and Rosalie had both agreed that just the mention of her toys would be enough to get him going and it seemed that they were right.

Suddenly the truck swerved and before Bella could think straight, her seatbelt had been removed and she was hauled towards Edward. His eyes were black and burning with an intensity that made Bella's stomach quiver and tighten as she stared into his burning gaze.

"I love that you have learned more about your body, Isabella, but make no mistake the only person that will be making you cum this weekend is me and if you want to show me your toys then_ I_ will use them on you, is that clear?" Bella's eyes widened at the dark, possessive sound of his voice. Bella was used to Edward taking charge in their relationship but she had never experienced Edward horny and in charge and if the sudden gush of moisture between her thighs was an indication, she was liking it!

Edward's eyes narrowed, "Did I make myself clear, Bella? Or do you want me to explain it to you again?" Edward said softly.

Bella blinked and she realized that she hadn't answered him and she nodded as she swallowed the pool of saliva in her mouth, "Yes, Edward, I understand. But you'd better understand that I have options if you don't follow through." She said, making sure that he knew that she wasn't some damn submissive that was going to bow down before him!

Edward chuckled and the tension in the car was broken, "Oh I know that you've got options, Miss sexually independent – can I have a kiss now so that we can get this show on the road?"

Bella leaned forward and she pecked his lips lightly and 'accidently' brushed the hard bulge in his jeans with her hand as she sat back on her side of the truck.

Edward narrowed his eyes and hissed, "You are going to be the death of me, I swear!"

=====HS=====

Bella had seen _The Sound of Music_ when she was younger; it was one of the handfuls of experiences that brought back a really good childhood memory. The children's home had taken all of the children to a Christmas viewing of the movie when Bella was eight or nine and she remembered being enchanted by the scenery and the story.

When Edward pulled up in front of the Von Trapp Lodge in Stowe, Bella felt as if she was about to burst and Edward had never seen Bella so animated. A doorman moved forward and opened Bella's door and Edward hid a smile as Bella turned around ready to attack the man for opening her door.

"What the fu – oh! I see, um thank you." Bella stammered as she got out of the truck and looked up at the three-story building that looked as if it would be right at home nestled in the mountains of Austria or Switzerland.

"Oh my God, this is amazing!" Bella squealed as she spun around and she clapped her hands together, reminding Edward of his sister. In that moment, Bella looked so young and Edward felt a pang of guilt.

The doorman smiled at Edward as he took the bags. Edward walked up to Bella and slid his hands around her waist and he kissed her cheek, "So, are you ready to see some more?"

Bella put her hands over Edward's and twisted her head to smile up at him, "Of course! Where is our room? Are we here in the main building or are we in a villa? Are those the villas down there? Oh my God, Edward, look at the scenery! It's just like in the movie! Did you…"

Edward covered her mouth with his hand as he spun her around to face him, "Bella! Breathe Love! Now, our room is in the main building and you will be able to see much more from our balcony, so come on." He said as her frown turned to a smile.

She took hold of his hand and tugged him into the foyer.

Edward could not stop chuckling as Bella pulled him across the room before she stopped dead and looked around her. "Oh my f- um, goodness! Look Edward!" she exclaimed loudly, causing a few patrons to look at them as Bella almost ran over to one wall of the entrance that held pictures of the Von Trapp family along with a gigantic mural of their family tree.

"Baby, can we check in first before we explore?" he asked.

Bella's shoulders sagged slightly but she turned around, "Okay, but only because I love you so darn much." She huffed, although her sparkling eyes belied her pout.

Edward chuckled and threw his arm around her shoulders, "Come on, silly girl."

For the first time Bella noticed that a lot of people seemed to be staring at them, most with indulgent smiles but a few in annoyance and she slowed down from her rush to get checked in, "Edward, everyone is staring at us." She whispered in discomfort as she ducked her head and he felt her small fingers grip his shirt in a rear show of nerves.

Edward leveled a threatening look at those standing closest to them but his frown changed to a grin as an elderly couple stood smiling at them.

Edward tickled her shoulder as he kissed the top of her head, "They are all jealous because we make such a perfect couple, Love." He teased.

Bella grinned and in an instant she had forgotten the feeling of inadequacy that she had felt just a moment before.

The manager of the hotel welcomed them warmly and a porter showed them up the sweeping staircase and down the wide hallway on the second floor. When they got to the end of the corridor, the porter stopped before a double door in an alcove and he unlocked the door to stand to one side so that Edward and Bella could walk inside.

"Sir, Madam, welcome to the Von Trap Suite. This is your living room with your dining area in that alcove."

Edward heard Bella gasp as she clutched his hand to her chest with both of hers.

"This is the master suite with your bathroom through that doorway." The porter walked over to the bank of windows covered in lace and he swept the covering aside to uncover a door, "This is your private balcony which overlooks our private villas, the gardens as well as the concert meadow. You have a wood burning fireplace in your bedroom and one in your living room; should you wish for it to be lit, please contact the front desk and please ensure that you bank the fire at all times. Enjoy your stay."

Edward smiled at the man while Bella had moved across the room to the French doors. The view was spectacular with various pathways, snow covered banks and of course in the distance the breathtaking Green Mountain range. Bella barely noticed the view.

Her mind was still stuck on the giant king size bed that looked as if it was at least six feet off the ground and a mile wide! All that she could think about was that she and Edward would be sharing that bed later that night.

_What if he hurts me?_

_What if I can't respond?_

_What if I am a cold fish like Tyler said?_

_What if I can't please him in that way?_

_What if… what if he doesn't want me afterwards…_

Edward closed the door behind the porter and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly and allowed his nerves to settle. He was acting like a nervous virgin bride!

The absolute stillness of the room alerted him to the fact that something was wrong. He turned and noticed that Bella had not moved but by the way that her fingers were gripping the curtains as she stared blindly outside, he knew that she was about to shatter from nervousness and for an instant he wondered if she had changed her mind. For a split second he doubted her love and her desire to be with him, before he pushed the old enemy of self-doubt down and he walked over to where she stood.

He cleared his throat to alert her to the fact that he was behind her before he put his hands on her shoulders.

Bella let out a shuddering sigh and she suddenly turned into his arms and gripped his jersey at the back as she burrowed her face against the soft material.

"Whoa!" Edward said quietly as he let his arms close around her, molding her closely to him.

Bella took long, deep breaths, pulling his smell into her lungs and letting it calm her wildly beating heart. She could feel her pulse beating in her neck and her feet moved in automatic 'flight or fight' mode.

_He isn't Tyler, Bella! Edward isn't like that; this is Edward, my friend, my love, and the man that I trust more than anything in the world_! Bella squeezed her eyes shut as she let the steady beat of Edward's heart sooth her fragile nerves.

Edward cradled Bella against him without saying a word and he spent long, quiet moments, swaying them gently and humming to her as her breathing slowed and he could feel her body relax until finally she lifted her face after taking a last long sniff that made Edward chuckled quietly and then she loosened her 'death grip' on his waist.

Edward turned, still holding Bella and he led her across the room to the oversized, red sofa that faced the crackling fireplace and he pulled her sideways onto his lap. Bella immediately laid her head in the crook of his neck as her fingers played with his hair.

"Isabella? Can you look at me love?"

Bella gave a quick shake of her head and tightened her grip on his hair.

"Bella – come on, look at me," he coaxed.

Bella raised her hot face. She was embarrassed beyond words and she was wondering if Edward thought that she was having second thoughts.

"I'm not having second thoughts." She said quietly as she stared at his chin.

"Hmm, really?"

Bella's eyes shot up to his face and she growled when she realized that his eyes were twinkling.

"Really." She huffed.

"Okay, so then tell me what's going on? Are you scared that I'm going to hurt you?"

"No! I know that you would never be – like that!" Bella denied forcefully but Edward could see a bit of uncertainty in her eyes.

Edward nodded but he couldn't help but wonder just how much damage Tyler had done psychologically to Bella. They had spoken at length about their past sexual experiences and Kebi had assured Bella that even though Tyler had been excessively forceful and he had caused some bleeding and probably bruising, there was not residual damage and sex should not be painful.

Edward waited until Bella stopped looking around the room wildly and she reluctantly met his eyes, "I will not hurt you, Bella. I will never take you against your will. You have the power and the right to say 'no' and no matter how horny or frustrated I may be, I promise you that I will stop when you say 'no'. I will try to respect and honor you sexually at all times and if I step out of line, please tell me. We don't have to do anything this weekend. We can take it as slow as you want to, my Love."

Bella's eyes filled with sudden tears as she stared into his emerald green eyes. She could see the sincerity of his words and the love shining out of them.

"Do – do you think I'm silly?" she asked quietly.

Edward wiped an errant tear that had fallen down her cheek.

"No, my sweet love, you are allowed to be nervous. You know what?"

"What?"

"I think that we need to get out of this room! Would you like to freshen up?" he said before he kissed the tip of her nose and shifted her off his lap.

Bella shook her head, "No, I'm fine."

Edward nodded, "Good. Let's put our jackets on and maybe you can put on some snow boots and we can take a walk? There are some great walks around here and the snow doesn't look too bad, are you game?"

Bella thought that a distraction would do them both some good and so she agreed and they quickly changed their shoes and put on scarves and gloves before Edward banked the fire and they left their room.

Downstairs, Edward made enquiries about the various walks and he was given a map of the grounds while Bella walked over to the far wall to study the mural more closely.

"You seem fascinated with the mural my dear." An elderly voice said next to her.

Bella turned to see a white haired woman, with glowing blue eyes and the sweetest smile on her face. She stood holding on to a walking frame.

Bella noticed that the woman had spoken with a foreign accent.

"I am," Bella, said and she couldn't help returning the woman's smile, "I was just thinking how wonderful it must be to be a part of such a large and long heritage." Bella sighed longingly.

The old woman's eyes darkened in sympathy and she extended a fragile hand to grasp Bella's arm. Bella was surprised by the surprisingly strong grip.

"_Mein_ _libeling_, family is not always who you are born to or from, it is who is in your heart."

Bella followed the woman's sharp gaze to where Edward was talking with a young man at reception. The woman raised her bright eyes to Bella's, "Your young man seems to hold a large part of your heart." She said with a teasing smile

Bella smiled and nodded, "He does! He and his family have opened their hearts to me without any reservations. I was alone and they took me in."

The woman smiled and nodded, "Then my dear, it seems that you too come from a large and wonderful heritage is it not so?"

Bella laughed and nodded, "It seems that I do. Oh! I'm sorry; I'm Bella, Bella Swan."

The woman smiled and nodded towards the mural, "I'm Gretel Von Trapp Reissenmier*." She said softly and Bella gasped as her eyes flew from the woman to the wall mural and back again.

"Really? Oh my God! Wow! I'm so, so honored to meet you!" Bella babbled.

Gretel let out a tinkering laugh that suited her to a 'T'.

"I am honored to meet you, Bella Swan. I hope that you enjoy your stay here with your young man."

Bella blushed and she watched as Edward and the man that he had been talking to approached them.

She held out her hand and Edward took it in his, bringing it to his mouth to kiss her knuckled gently. Bella blushed even harder.

"Gretel, this is my Edward – I mean this is my, um, my 'young man'." Bella stammered.

Edward took the frail hand that was extended to him and he bowed over it, planting a gentle kiss in the middle of the age withered, soft skin.

"It it a pleasure to meet you Frau Reissenmier." Edward said, pronouncing her name in a flawless accent.

Bella's knees went weak as she watched how gentle, almost tender he was with the elderly woman.

Gretel giggled at him before her amused eyes met Bella's in silent conspiracy, "Please call me Gretel. Aaah, I can see why young Bella is so in love with you." She looked past them to the man standing by her side.

"This is my great-grandnephew Friederik**. Have you come to take me back to my cell?" she asked him with laughter bubbling from her lips.

Friederik laughed, "_Tante Gretel_, as if anyone could keep you locked up! No, I was just coming to ask you to join me for some tea."

Gretel nodded and took his extended arm, "That sounds 'awesome' as you young people say. Bella, Edward, I hope that I see you again before you leave."

Edward and Bella said goodbye and watched as the tall man and the short woman made their way slowly to the lodge dining room.

Bella realized that Edward was still holding her hand and she turned to him with the brightest smile, "Do you know who that is?" she asked in awe as they made their way out of the lodge.

Edward nodded, "I do; her great grand nephew is one of the managers here and he was telling me that Gretel is the youngest of the Von Trapp children**."

Edward smiled and threw his arm over Bella's shoulders, "Come on, we are going on an adventure this afternoon." He whispered into her ear.

He loved the way that her eyes grew wide with excitement at his words. She was so different from the prickly, antagonistic girl that had arrived in Hope Springs just months before. Now her eyes were sparkling with life and she was positively glowing. There was little trace of the emaciated waif, with no clothes or money and very little hope of a future.

Edward's arm tightened around her instinctively as he pressed his lips to the side of her temple, "I love you, sweet girl."

Bella smiled, "I love you too, 'sweet boy'." She teased.

When they got outside Bella gasped, "Edward! Is that for us?"

Edward nodded and shared a smiled with the driver of the horse and open sleigh.

"There is still enough snow for the sleigh and I promise that we won't go fast. The driver will be very careful."

Their driver, Stanley greeted them before he helped Bella up into Edward's waiting hands. Bella snuggled under the thick blankets that had been provided and she grinned when Stanley showed them the flask of vanilla hot chocolate and mugs that were packed in a side panel together with marshmallows.

For the next hour Stanley showed them much of the Von Trapp property. Their horse was a gentle Percheron horse known by the name of 'Dapple' after his lovely grey and white dappled color.

Bella had difficulty in concentrating after a while on the scenery and Stanley's voice as she became aware of Edward's gentle and teasing touches and kisses and the way his nose skimmed her jaw and the exciting feeling of his cold lips presses to the hollow of her throat.

Just as she thought that she was going to breakdown and beg for mercy, she saw the hotel come into their view again and she wasn't sure if she was frustrated or glad that their journey was over.

Edward jumped out of the sleigh with an evil grin and mischief dancing in his impossibly green eyes and he held his arms open for Bella as she pouted and struggled to climb out from under the mountains of blankets that he had dumped on her.

"Come on sweetheart, what are you doing? Stop playing in the blankets…"

Edward struggled not to laugh as Bella grumbled and hissed under her breath until at last she tumbled from the carriage into his arms, red-faced and slightly sweaty.

"Humph!" She exclaimed as she landed against his chest.

"Are you trying to fly Bells? It works better from the roof of the garage!" Emmett exclaimed loudly and Bella looked up to see him, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper standing in the entrance way of the lodge.

Bella glared at him as she struggled to unzip her parka.

Edward stepped backwards and turned to thank the driver before he turned around and quickly brushed Bella's mitten covered hands away. He unzipped her jacket and pulled her mittens off. Bella took a deep breath, "Thank you! I thought my blood was going to boil, I was so hot!"

Edward ignored Jasper and Emmett's loud guffaw and Alice and Rosalie's snigger as he brushed her long hair off her hot neck, "You are smoking hot love, but we need to get inside so that you don't get too cold or ill."

He didn't even try to hide his smirk as Bella picked up his hand and tugged him into the lodge where the others were waiting for them.

Jasper and Emmett checked themselves into their villa while Bella hugged and greeted the girls.

"Bella, you look as if you have been having a good time! How was the sleigh ride?" Alice asked.

"Oh God Alice, it was the best thing ever! You and Jasper should do it – it's so romantic and even though it's damn cold, it's um, 'nice' to cuddle."

Rosalie's eyebrows shot up, "Did you say, 'nice to cuddle'? By the look on your face when we drove up, I'd say that it was more than nice, Bella."

Bella blushed and dipped her head, "Yeah, okay, it was a bit more than nice." She ground out.

Before she could say more, Edward, Emmett and Jasper joined them.

"So, there is a dinner and dance this evening in the main dining room, so we were thinking that we should all go to that, what do you say?" Jasper asked.

Bella looked up to see Edward regarding her closely as she tried to hide the pang of disappointment that she felt. She wanted to be alone with him more than anything, she realized.

"We've still got another two nights here after tonight so there is plenty of time to get some 'alone time' in." Edward interjected and even though he looked around at their group, Bella knew that he was pointing that fact out for her specifically.

She sighed, "Okay, that sounds like a plan then, but just don't ask me to dance okay? I don't do those fancy pussy dances!" she said decisively.

Emmett laughed, "There's a dance for pussies? Why didn't anyone tell me that? Babe – OW!" Emmett hopped away and rubbed his boot covered foot as Rosalie tapped her stiletto heeled boot with satisfaction.

Edward shook his head, "Okay, well shall we meet in the bar at seven? It's already almost six."

Alice squeaked out her distress as she thought about only having an hour to get ready. She pulled Jasper to the entrance.

Edward and Bella made their way to their room and Bella gave him a shy smile as she walked into the room.

The lights were burning in the lounge and Bella noticed that the fire was blazing. There was a silver tray with two glasses of sherry on an end table.

Edward picked up the small glasses and handed one to Bella, "This is like a very sweet liqueur that is supposed to warm you up on a cold night."

Bella took a small sip and wrinkled her nose adorably, "Hmm, I'm not sure if I like the taste."

"Well, you don't have to drink it all, Love. But it does feel warm going down doesn't it?"

Bella hummed as she looked around the room that looked like the inside of a ski lodge somewhere in Europe as images of someone else doing other things to her body to 'warm' her up raced through her head.

Bella tried to hide her thoughts as she looked at Edward, but he could read her like an open book, a fact that he was grateful for since Bella wasn't always forthcoming with her thoughts and feelings, so he saw how dark her eyes had become and the two bright spots of color in her cheeks that he would bet had nothing to do with the thimble of sherry that she had consumed.

"What are you thinking, sweet girl?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"That I wish it was already later tonight," she said before she clamped her hand over her mouth, in embarrassment.

Edward didn't hide the shit-eating grin as he smiled down at her, "Don't wish the night away, Babe, think of it as – foreplay," he said and Bella almost came on the spot.

Fuck! How was she going to get through the next few hours with images of 'foreplay' dancing around in her brain!

She narrowed her eyes at him, "You are such a tease, Edward Cullen!"

Edward stepped forward suddenly then the glasses were gone and he was pressing Bella against the door of the master bedroom, "Fuck Isabella, it has taken every ounce of self control that I possess to not have made love to you in a thousand different ways over the past three months, especially as you've teased me and begged me to take you." His warm breath blew gently over her ear and Bella could feel the seriously wet patch through three layers and she knew that she was flowing, never mind dripping.

Edward stopped talking suddenly and his eyes narrowed before he lifted a hand and keeping eye contact with Bella he ran his fingers down the middle of her chest, over the zipper of her jeans before he suddenly gripped the junction of her thighs and smirked at her, "Fuck, do you know that I can smell your arousal from here, Bella? Do you know what that does to me, Love?"

Edward wrapped a foot around Bella's ankle and ground his rock hard cock against her stomach.

Bella let out a moan that sounded almost animalistic and her hands shot out to grip his forearms.

"Edward, baby, please… Jesus, please…"

Suddenly Edward was across the room staring at her with eyes that were black as the approaching night.

"Please go and shower, Isabella, or else we will not leave this room for the next three days."

Bella was panting and she licked her dry lips before she nodded and walked into the bedroom without an argument.

Bella pumped her fingers as deep as she could as her other hand pinched and twisted her nipples – she knew that she needed release before they left the suite or else she was going to say to hell with it and she was going to attack Edward as soon as she saw him!

A few more pumps of her fingers and she was gasping for air as she growled out Edward's name.

Edward would have been flattered but at the time he was leaning against the wall of the guest shower as his fist flying up and down his turgid cock mercilessly. He was hoping that if he could release some tension that he would be able to restrain himself and not race across the hall and rip the door off it's hinges before he fuck Bella until she screamed his name.

The imagery proof too much and with that Edward's knees almost buckled as he shot long strings of cum all over the shower doors.

A half an hour later Bella walked into the sitting room where Edward was waiting for her, "You look beautiful, Bella." He murmured as he took notice of the purple cocktail dress that she was wearing.

Bella smiled, "Thank you, you look very handsome." Edward was wearing a pair of black trousers and a black button-down with a black tie.

They both silently gave themselves a pat on the back for their 'preparation' for the evening.

"Shall we?" Edward asked as he held out the silver, spider web-like shawl that Alice had selected to go with her dress.

Bella nodded.

=====HS=====

Edward had never been more conscious of a person in his life before. Every expression, every nuance, every small movement that Bella made, Edward noticed. All through dinner, his family teased him time and again as he was caught staring at Bella.

Bella was on top of the world as she giggled and flirted with him all through dinner. When the music began, Bella didn't even try and argue with Edward as he held out his hand, she just placed her fingers into his with absolute trust.

Several people stopped to watch the glowing couple as they moved gently around the dance floor. Without realizing it, Bella didn't trip or stumble once, nor did a word pass between them for that first dance. They spoke with their eyes, make declarations and promises that only their hearts understood.

"Wow, were we like that Rosie?" Emmett asked softly as he held his wife's hand in his and peppered it with kisses as he led Rosalie around the dance floor behind Edward and Bella.

Rosalie tilted her head as she looked into her husband's pensive blue eyes. Even after all this time, she could see the regret and sadness in the depths of his eyes. Emmett would forever regret that he had almost slipped and lost his family for good. Even though he and Rosalie had worked extra hard to repair their relationship and Rosalie trust Emmett with her own life, she knew that his failure still weighed on his mind sometimes.

Rosalie reached up and cupped his chiseled jaw in the palm of her hand, "Emmett, we are still like that. You look at me every day just the way that Edward looks at Bella, my Darling."

Suddenly her eyes twinkled wickedly, "Shall we slip away and go and 'test' the hot tub in our room?"

A muscle in Emmett's jaw twitched and his eyes darkened dangerously even as his hands tightened on Rosalie's hips, pulling her against the swell of his pants.

"Rosie, hell and damnation baby, you are trying to kill me! Let's blow this popsicle stand." Emmett ground out before he pulled Rosalie against his side, pausing only to pick up their coats before he almost ran out of the door with her.

Jasper and Alice stopped next to Edward not long afterwards and Jasper said a hurried greeting to them before he and Alice quickly followed Emmett.

Edward pulled away from Bella slightly so that he could look into her impossibly liquid chocolate eyes.

"Would you like to sit down?" he asked.

Bella shook her head and stood on tippy toes so that she could whisper into his ear, "No Edward. I would like you to take me to our room and make love to me."

Bella's words caused Edward to stumble slightly, which made Bella giggle because out of the two of them, she was by far the 'clumsy' one.

Bella stopped moving and cocked an eyebrow at him, "What's the matter? Cold feet?" she turned and walked the few steps to their table and picked up her purse before she turned back to see that Edward had not moved.

Bella smirked and cocked her head, "Cat got your tongue, Doctor Cullen or are you just plain chicken?" and with that Bella walked out of the small ballroom. She made sure to sway her hips just a little bit more than usual, just as Rosalie had shown her and for once she was grateful that her dress had a 'cowl' neck so that the back draped dangerously low to the small of her back.

She walked up the stairs slowly, trying to give Edward time to come to his senses and follow and she was more than a little disappointed when she was about to open their door and there was no sign of him.

As she was about to slip the old fashioned key into the lock, when long fingers closed over her outstretched hand and Bella stifled a scream in the silent hallway.

She spun around and then staggered against the door when she found that Edward was standing toe to toe with her.

"Fuck! You scared the shit out of me, Edward!" she gasped.

Edward didn't speak, but he put his hands out on either side of Bella's head and leaned in close so that she was pressed tightly against the door for the second time that day.

"I am going to spend the rest of the night making sure that you know that my feet are boiling hot, Isabella and the only pussy to catch my tongue is hopefully going to be yours, baby and lastly, we will see who of us is 'chicken'."

Bella whimpered and she felt her knees begin to buckle.

Edward pulled her flush against him and held her securely before he unlocked the door and then Edward was scooping Bella up into his arms bridal style.

The next thing that she knew, Bella was set onto her feet next to the bed and Edward was standing a couple of feet away from her.

Bella looked around for the first time and she noticed for the first time that there were hundreds of electronic candle lights flickering around the room.

When she looked back at Edward he looked nervous, "Is this too much? Is it okay? I wanted it to be special and…" He stammered uncharacteristically.

Edward's nervousness gave Bella a strange feeling of calm and assurance. Suddenly she was the one in control and all of her fears seemed to settle. She smiled the sweetest smile as her one hand reached behind her and then her dress was pooling around her hips.

Edward gasped as he took in the sight of her slim and toned body. Her skin glowed in the light and the orbs of her breasts were shadowed by her nipples that stood hard, silently begging for his mouth.

"You are without a doubt the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen." He whispered reverently.

Bella rolled her hips and the flimsy garment fell around her feet. Edward's eyes widened at the tiny scrap of black material that covered her heat.

Bella stepped out of her dress and walked confidently over to where he was standing. She deftly unbuttoned his shirt, not missing a beat as he stood dumbly before her.

Once his shirt was unbuttoned she pushed it over his shoulders and it was only when her hands had made quick work of the fastenings of his trousers that Edward seemed to rouse out of his stupor.

With a low growl his hands shot out and gripped her impossibly tiny waist.

"I want to worship you." He half moaned as Bella's fingers delved below his boxers. She scraped her short nails against the nest of soft hair and she giggled as his cock nudged her hand like a pet seeking its master's touch.

"I want you to take me, Edward. Make me yours."

Edward kicked his shoes off and in seconds all clothing was lying in the floor as he walked Bella backwards until her legs hit the bed.

Together they tumbled backwards, Bella legs opening naturally to accommodate his between them.

They both let out a loud curse as his cock homed in on her soaking pussy.

"Fuck!"

"Oh God!"

Edward shuffled Bella further up the bed before he dipped his head and kissed her deeply. Their tongues dueled as their bodies rubbed against each other, until they were both bursting for air.

Without missing a beat, Edward rained kisses on her face, her neck until his lips closed over her nipple while his fingers paid homage to the other one.

Bella's hips bucked as she tried to find friction to sooth the ache inside her, but it was impossible.

Suddenly Edward pushed up, pulling his torso off her chest. His eyes were black as night, his face pinched with the effort of controlling himself.

"I can't wait, love. I thought I could, but I need you now."

Bella wrapped her arms around his waist, "Take me now, I need you too."

"Thank God!"

He quickly guided his almost painfully thickened cock to her dripping entrance and without further ado or fanfare; he pushed slowly and steadily into her.

Bella thought that she would die from the sensations that he was creating. For the first time in her life, she knew what all the fuss was about.

Something inside of her was keening, calling to him to drive into her heat. She wanted him to possess her. She wanted him to mark her as his. She wanted him to own her.

Bella lifted her hips as she gripped Edward's ass in her hands and she pulled him as deep into her as she could.

Edward was shaking as he tried to fight the overwhelming need that he felt to drive into her.

"Bella, baby, please, I want to be gentle…" he panted but Bella wasn't having any of it.

"No! Fuck me Edward! I need you to possess me!" she demanded and with a last shudder Edward gave over to his baser instincts as he gripped her hips and almost glared at her.

"You. Are. Mine!" He growled as he began to pummel inside her.

Bella's nails dug into his shoulders as Edward drove into her again and again.

Her head was spinning as the sensations became too much and she came screaming his name.

Edward wasn't finished and he grew harder as he felt her pussy contract and milk him. Her juices were coating their thighs as Edward felt his self-control slipping. After all the months that they had spent exploring each other, Edward had foolishly thought that he would be able to control his lust for Bella, but her fingers digging into his biceps and her coltish legs wrapped tightly around his hips and her seductive moist heat was a complete overload of feelings and sensations and at Bella's begging, yes, begging, he emptied himself deep inside her, as he almost screamed out her name.

"I love you, my Bella." Edward said as he gently kissed her cheek, before he allowed himself to fully relax against her body.

After what seemed like an eternity, Edward became aware of the fact that he was sprawled halfway over Bella and he lifted himself in alarm and tried to alleviate discomfort until Bella tightened her limbs around him and she clung to him as she tried to burrow deeper.

"Hey there, spider monkey, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Bella nodded without moving her face and Edward was immediately on alert.

_Fuck, something was wrong!_

Bella nuzzled her face in Edward's neck as her arms and legs stayed wrapped around him securely. She was trying to be as quiet as possible as she waited in vain for the sobs that were threatening to overwhelm her to subside.

Making love with Edward Cullen was more than she had ever imagined it would be. He was a strong and considerate lover. His touches were tender but strong at the same time. Bella had never felt so… alive before! She had never known that making love, really making love with someone who loved and adored you could make you feel as if you were the most desirable, fragile and precious woman in the world.

Bella didn't understand why she was feeling so much of _everything_! She was happy, sad, and a little afraid of the enormity of what they had done. She had felt their relationship shift in the moments of them making love. She was filled with love, warmth and contentment and at the very same time she could feel a knot of fear in the pit of her stomach.

This wasn't just a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship any longer. This was real – this was for life.

And even though the thought of loving someone for the next seventy or eighty years was daunting to any eighteen-year-old, the feeling that was sending Bella into a downward spiral of panic was the clarity _that if this man that held her world in the palm of his hand, if he ever left her, willingly or not, she knew that she would never survive._

It was this thought that sent Bella over the edge and with a muffled sob, Bella pushed Edward away, before she jumped up and stumbled into the bathroom.

She only had an impression of the look of horror and hurt on Edward's face before she locked the bathroom door and sank down onto the floor as she wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her head in them.

"FUCK! BELLA! OPEN THIS DOOR! BELLA!" Edward roared as he dove for the door just a moment too late when he heard the click of the lock.

"FUCK IT!"

Bella jumped as the door handle rattled and then the door shook violently.

"Bella! Open this fucking door! What did I do? What happened? Did I hurt you? Are you, fuck, Bella, are you bleeding?" Bella pushed her fist into her mouth as she stifled a sob.

He thought that she was crying because he had hurt her! How could she be so stupid? How could she be so cruel as to run away from him? Of course he would get tired of her and leave if she was going to behave like a fucking five-year-old!

Bella could hear Edward breathing hard on the other side of the door. She could imagine him to be tugging at his hair as he agonized over what he had 'done' to her.

There was a soft tap at the door, "Bella? Baby, love, I'm going to phone someone, okay? I'm going to phone Alice and Rosalie to come and take care of you, okay? I promise." his voice broke and Bella bit her fist harder at the stark misery in his voice, "I promise that I will stay away if you want me to…"

"NO! Edward, no!" Bella scrambled up and unlocked the door and she wasn't surprised when it opened to find that Edward was also on his knees.

Bella could not stop the tears and she threw her arms around his neck. For a moment Edward was stiff and unresponsive but the feeling of her hot tears on his skin was enough for him to pick her up and pull her onto his lap.

It didn't matter that it was almost two in the morning or that they were both stark naked on a hotel room floor. It didn't matter that only moments before Edward had felt like the worst asshole in the world.

Bella was in his arms, holding him tightly – nothing else mattered.

Edward crooned to her as he rocked them gently to and fro. Slowly her sniffles died down until she was calmer and her breathing had slowed with only the occasional hiccup. Her small fingers combed through the hair at the back of his neck and Edward smiled as he hummed.

Finally Edward stopped moving and he pressed kisses to the top of Bella's head.

"Can you talk to me love? I'm going crazy here. I just want to know what I did wrong."

Bella squeaked her eyes shut and took a few ragged breaths.

"You did nothing wrong, Edward. It's hard to explain, but I just felt so… I don't know… overwhelmed, or just really emotional I suppose. I know that it's silly and you probably are regretting this –" Edward put his hand over Bella's mouth to stifle whatever she was going to say next, before he leaned down so that he could make eye contact with her.

"Whatever you were about to say – don't. You are not 'silly' or 'childish'. The only time that I would think that is if you try and hide what you are feeling, when we obviously need to talk about it. You are my very best friend Isabella, do you know that?"

Bella's eyes were wide as she slowly shook her head from side to side.

Edward nodded, "Well you are and as my best friend and my sexy girlfriend and lover, if you are not happy, then I want to know about it. Even if you think that it's nonsensical – it doesn't matter because 'a problem shared is a problem halved' right?"

Bella nodded as she began to comprehend what Edward was saying.

"Good. So, no more hiding?" Bella shook her head and Edward could see that the panic and fear had receded.

He slowly removed his hand and leaned over to kiss her swollen lips. Bella opened her mouth immediately and Edward felt the warm coals in his stomach flare up into a roaring inferno in seconds.

Bella whimpered as she felt his cock on her bottom and her fingers tightened on his hair.

Edward was so tempted to carry her back to the bed only a few feet away, but he knew that they had to talk first and so he reluctantly slowed the fervor of his tongue and mouth until he nibbled gently before he lifted his head.

"Let's have a bath and we can talk in the tub, okay?"

Bella didn't even try to hide her disappointment but she obeyed him reluctantly as she scooted off his lap.

Their juices had leaked out over his legs and Bella was embarrassed as she felt the sticky slickness on her thighs.

"I'm sorry about the mess" she whispered pointing to his legs as he stood up next to her.

Edward frowned in confusion before he realized what she was apologizing for and then he grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows at her, "Love is messy sweetheart – that's half the fun!"

Bella giggled.

Edward turned the lights on so that the room was filled with a soft light. Bella realized for the first time that the large hot tub was filled with fragrant water that was gently bubbling away.

"This should take care of any sore muscles you may have." He said as Bella stepped into the tub.

Edward got in and they sat down facing each other, although Bella would have preferred not to have to look at him during the uncomfortable conversation that she knew was about to take place.

"Talk to me." Edward urged.

"After we – I mean, during, well when I'd um," she stopped talking and stared at him.

After a moment of staring at each other, Edward smiled gently and leaned back, closing his eyes as he squeezed the bath sponge over his chest. Bella wondered what the fuck he was doing – until his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm listening Darling; take all the time you need." He said lazily without opening his eyes.

Bella let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. Edward was putting her at ease. He knew that she couldn't vocalize the confusing thoughts trapped in her head, and he was giving her a way of sharing without having to stare into his eyes.

"Okay. Well, I just felt so much emotion while we were making love, you know? I've never, ever felt like that with anyone but you and tonight was just – oh my God, Edward, I thought that I was going to have a heart attack! It was amazing! You made me feel so beautiful and strong and sexy! And at the same time you made me feel so much love. I felt as if I was drowning in love and lust and then there was this insane fear." Bella spoke faster as she lost her nervousness.

Edward lay as still as he could and he made sure that he didn't show any emotion. He worked to keep his expression calm even though he was terrified of what Bella was going to say. When she said the word 'fear' Edward felt himself flinch. _Had he scared her? _

He was about to sit up when he felt Bella move forward until her legs were draped over his thighs and her centre was almost touching his semi flaccid cock.

Small fingers pried the sponge out of his tense grasp before he smelled Bella's liquid soap, and the smell of green apples, lavender and something spicy filled the air before the sponge was once again rubbed across his chest.

"I wasn't afraid of you, Baby, I was afraid that all of this, everything that we shared would disappear and I would be left alone again…" Edward's eyes opened and Bella felt her breathing falter as she stared into his emerald green eyes, framed by his long, dark and wet eye lashes.

Edward still didn't speak but this time, Bella wasn't afraid to continue talking, even though she felt a few tears slip down her cheeks.

"I love you so much Edward. So much more than I could ever express and the thought of losing you is enough to scare me beyond reason! I would rather endure a thousand years of abusive foster parents if it meant that you would stay with me!" Bella felt the panic rising in her chest just speaking the words and then the water was sloshing over the sides of the tub as Edward shot up and gripped the tops of her arms. He shook her slightly as his black gaze stared deep into her eyes.

"That is not going to happen! Don't fucking say things like that, Isabella! You have no fucking idea how much I want to smack your ass for talking about yourself that way! You devalue yourself at every turn and I won't have it! Now you listen to me – I cannot promise you that we are never going to be apart. No one has that certainty, Isabella. You know this. Your father loved you and yet he died – bad things happen to good people, sweetheart. That is why we live everyday to the fullest, with no regrets. I want to spend the rest of my life with you Isabella Swan and one day, when the time is right, I'm going to ask you to marry me." Edward's fierce gaze had softened until his eyes were light again.

Bella grinned, "You are?"

"Of course I am, sweet girl. There will never be anyone else for me but you."

Finally, Bella felt the band of fear and panic loosen as a warm glow filled her heart.

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too, Love."

More water sloshed over the sides and Bella moved closer, and this time she rubbed herself against his hardness.

"Fuck me, Edward." She said.

Edward jerked as if he had been struck, "What?"

Bella nodded "Fuck. Me. I want you to mark me as yours. Only yours." Bella said a she leaned forward, suddenly the aggressor and she attacked his mouth, darting her tongue into his mouth as she dominated the kiss.

Edward allowed Bella to take the lead for a while and before he knew it her hand was clutching the base of his cock, and she was moving and then, she was raising herself up before she dropped down hard into his lap.

"FUCKING HELL!" Edward roared as Bella rose up again, this time rolling her hips to add depth to the movement and Bella groaned as the balls of Edward's piercings created a delicious feeling inside her.

Edward gripped her hips and stilled her, "Stand up!" he ordered.

Bella reluctantly stood up and she was surprised when Edward turned her around so that her hands were braced on the wall.

He nudged her knees apart as his hands caressed her hips and buttocks.

"Do you want me to fuck you, Isabella?" Bella felt a gush of juices as he spoke. His voice was low, gravelly, controlled and dark.

"Yes!"

Edward chuckled darkly, "Hold on love, you are about to be nailed!" with that he plunged into her waiting heat and Bella let out a scream.

Almost immediately Bella felt herself begin to lose control but this time Edward wasn't ready for her to cum and he reached around and pinched one of her nipples – hard. Bella jumped and shouted but Edward calmly told her to 'stay focused' and not cum yet.

If anything, Edward taking control made Bella even more aroused so that when he slipped his cock out of her and rubbed his PA over the hood of her clit, Bella's legs buckled and she came with an intensity that made her think she had wet herself.

Edward grinned as he held her up and against his chest. One again he was inside her and by the time that Edward gave in and came deep inside of Bella, she had climaxed three times and she was about to beg for mercy!

Bella was almost half asleep as Edward wrapped her into a fluffy towel before he lifted her into his arms and walked back into the bedroom.

He laid her on the bed and dried her off quickly and then she curled around his pillow as he covered her with the feather down duvet and within minutes she was asleep with a smile on her face.

Edward let out a sigh that was part relief and part exhaustion.

He dried himself off and used their towels mop the damp floor. Thankfully the tub was an infinity style so that the excess water just ran over the sides. Once the room was tidy again, he brushed his teeth and went to make sure that the rest of the suite was secure.

Suddenly Edward was bone-tired and he put a 'do not disturb' sign outside their front door before he turned off all of the lights, including the electronic candles and he climbed into bed.

Almost immediately Bella moved over and she whimpered as he crawled almost on top of his torso.

Edward closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. He knew that they had a ways to go still, but he also knew that after that night there was no going back for either of them.

It was official: Bella Swan owned him!

**A/N: Okay! I hope that this chapter relieved some tension! It did for me, and our two lovers. I hope that you liked it. Thank you to everyone for your faithfulness and patience.**

**Love,**

**Michele **

_**Gretel Von Trapp Reissenmier* great-grandnephew Friederik** are two fictitious characters although the Von Trapp Family Lodge exists and it is in Stowe, this is fiction and so in keeping I decided to make up names rather an use real family member's names.**_


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 20 – **_

_**Edward let out a sigh that was part relief and part exhaustion.**_

_**He dried himself off and used their towels mop the damp floor. Thankfully the tub was an infinity style so that the excess water just ran over the sides. Once the room was tidy again, he brushed his teeth and went to make sure that the rest of the suite was secure.**_

_**Suddenly Edward was bone-tired and he put a 'do not disturb' sign outside their front door before he turned off all of the lights, including the electronic candles and he climbed into bed.**_

_**Almost immediately Bella moved over and she whimpered as she crawled almost on top of his torso.**_

_**Edward closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. He knew that they had a ways to go still, but he also knew that after that night there was no going back for either of them. It was official: Bella Swan owned him!**_

**CHAPTER 21 – JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED!**

Bella woke up slowly. She was not really a morning person and this particular morning just felt different. She felt different. She was toasty warm for one thing and her pillow was tickling her nose.

Wait – what?

Her eyes shot open and for a second she wondered what the fuck she had done and then the memories of the previous evening came flooding back.

Edward. Her. Making love – her tears and their coupling in the bath.

"Hmmm," Bella stretched carefully and felt a delicious tenderness in her nether regions. It wasn't painful and Bella was grateful for that. When she had lost her virginity and the other times that she had been with Tyler, she had felt as if red-hot pokers were inside her. She had been raw and had cried for days before she was able to go to a free-clinic for a topical cream and lubricant.

But Edward had been so patient and loving and each time he touched her he made her feel as if she was the most precious woman on earth. Bella remembered how all of her emotions had crashed down around her the night before and she smiled as she remembered how Edward had been so patient with her. With those thoughts in mind she became aware that she was once again sprawled over his chest, which was why his chest hair was tickling her nose.

Edward's one hand gripped the back of her knee lightly as he held it over his groin and Bella had to stifle a giggle as she felt his cock twitching and pressing against her leg.

Edward's other hand was buried in her hair and his finger tips would caress her neck lightly every now and again.

As comfortable as Bella was, she needed to use the bathroom and she really needed some coffee and so she spent the next several minutes trying to be as stealthy as possible as she leopard crawled off the bed and onto the floor.

She felt much better after she had done her quick morning routine, which included brushing her hair and her teeth, splashing water on her face and using the toilet.

Once she was freshened up, Bella walked through the bedroom, intent on phoning downstairs for some food and coffee, but just as she got to the door a rumbling voice spoke out.

"That's the second time that you have crawled around while I was asleep; is this something that you do often?" Edward's voice was thick with sleep and Bella thought that it was as sexy as fuck.

She giggled as she grabbed Edward's dress shirt from the previous night and slipped it on. Edward rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he propped himself on his elbow and looked at Bella properly.

"Fuck, you are beautiful." He murmured and Bella blushed.

"I'm just going to phone down for some coffee." She said quietly.

Edward patted the space next to him, "Come here, Love. We can phone from here."

Bella chewed her lower lip, "I didn't want to disturb you."

Edward smiled, "Darling, just looking at how sexy you look right now is very 'disturbing'. Come on, come back to bed." He coaxed with a sexy smile that he knew Bella couldn't resist.

She made her way over to the bed and when she was close enough, Edward's hand shot out and he pulled her towards him, barely catching her as she tumbled forward.

"Hey! Not fair!" she protested as Edward quickly flipped her over so that he hovered above her and tickled her sides.

Bella narrowed her eyes and with a determined glare, she dug her small fingers into his ribs, where he was exceptionally ticklish.

"Okay! Stop! I give! UNCLE!" he shouted as he sprang from the bed and walked to the bathroom.

"Order a substantial breakfast, Love, I don't plan on getting out of here before this afternoon!" he said over his shoulder.

He grinned when he saw how Bella was checking out his naked ass as she licked her lips.

Bella shook her head and blushed furiously as he closed the bathroom door.

Once she had placed their order, she plumped up the pillows and reached for her phone. She realized that it was still early, only just after seven. No wonder it was still barely dawn!

She slipped back under the thick goose down snowy white duvet and let out a happy sigh as she thought back to the previous evening.

Edward was such a considerate lover. He seemed to anticipate her needs before she even knew that she had them!

Bella rolled over and hugged Edward's pillow. She took a deep breath and breathed his scent in with a giggle.

Fuck! I'm turning into one of 'those' girls! She thought to herself with a groan, before I know it, I'm going to be giggling on the phone to my friends about the size of his –'

The rest of the thought was lost as she felt Edward's lips nuzzle the side of her neck.

"What are you giggling about pretty girl?"

Bella buried her face deeper into his pillow and shook her head vigorously.

"Not telling!" she shouted into the pillow.

Edward chuckled and he was just about to climb into bed again when there was a knock at the door.

Bella realized that Edward smelled of soap and that special 'Edward' smell that she loved – spicy and woodsy and minty.

Edward stood up and pulled on his boxers as Bella turned over and sat up with a huff. She wanted some more loving time but then her stomach rumbled and she heard Edward chuckle as he walked to the door.

After a few moments, he walked back into the room, pushing a serving cart with a bemused smile, "How much food did you order?"

Bella shrugged, "You said you were hungry and I'm fucking starving, so – hey is there enough coffee?"

=====HS=====

After a delicious breakfast of bacon, poached eggs, various slices of toast, stewed fruit, yogurt and honey and a platter of pastries with copious amounts of coffee, Bella lay back with a groan as she rubbed her stomach.

"That was amazing!" she sighed.

Edward rolled his eyes as he put their plates on the cart before he rolled it outside.

Once back in the bedroom he dropped his boxers and climbed into the bed, pulling Bella against his chest.

"What is amazing is how much food you can pack into that tiny body! Where do you put it all?"

Bella smiled, "You know before I came to Hope Springs, when times were tough, I was so used to making food last that it took me a few months to actually eat until I was full. Jasper worked with me until eventually I was able to give myself permission to eat properly and not want to squirrel food away for later."

Edward frowned. He hated thinking about Bella being alone, starving and unprotected. Whenever she spoke about her years before she found them, his heart would ache with sadness.

Bella reached up and smoothed the lines from his forehead, "Don't be sad, Baby. I'm fine now."

Edward sighed as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I know you are, but I will never stop feeling sad at what you went through as a child, Bella. I am just thankful that our children will never have to go through that –" he stopped talking abruptly at the look of shock on her face.

"What?"

Bella sat up slowly and pulled her knees up to her chest as she fought to control her breathing.

"Bella? What's the matter, Love?" He moved closer to her but stopped when he saw her body tense up.

"I need to shower." Bella said as she flipped the covers back and stood up.

Before she could move one step Edward had caught her hand and stopped her. Bella stared down at their joined hands with a sad look on her face.

"Bella, you promised me just hours ago that you would not hide from difficult conversations. Now talk to me, what did I say that got you upset?"

Bella reluctantly looked up to meet his gaze.

"Edward – I won't have any children. I can't." she said quietly.

Edward frowned, "What? But Kebi said that you were fine! She…" Bella shook her head.

"Physically, I am fine, but Edward, if I have learned anything about myself in the past months in therapy, it's that I have not had a 'mother' role model in my life and I have no idea how to be a mother to anyone! I won't put you or our ch-child through that, no matter how much I want one!" Her eyes glittered with angry, determined tears as she steadily held his gaze.

Edward bit back his argument. He could see the wistful longing in Bella's eyes as she stuttered over the mere mention of their child. They were in no rush and he determined then and there that he was resolved to giving her as much time as she needed.

So instead he lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles lightly.

"Okay, Sweetheart, come on, shall we try out the shower? There is a shower seat in there that I think is just the right height for some fun!" he said with a comical wiggle of his eyebrows.

Bella's expression cleared as she realized that he was not going to argue with her.

"Are you going to teach me what a 'reverse cowgirl' is?" she said with a laugh as she skipped to the bathroom door.

Edward growled as he leapt of the bed, "You are going to kill me, Bella!"

=====HS=====

They spent the rest of the morning relaxing in their suite and after making love for the third time; they dressed and made their way downstairs for lunch with the family. Much to the guy's amusement, Bella raced over to Alice and Rosalie and the three girls hugged and jumped up and down until, the waiter cleared his throat noisily and nervously showed them to their table.

Alice and Rosalie were grinning as they linked their arms through Bella's.

"How was it?"

"You are glowing, Bells!"

"Are you okay? You are walking a little funny."

"Did you two get adventurous?"

Bella was blushing furiously as she looked from one to the other, "God! Don't you two have better things to think about than Edward and I doing it?" she whispered.

Alice shook her head quickly, "Believe me, honey, my man keeps me more than satisfied, but it's good to see you two looking so um, 'satisfied'."

Bella just shrugged and giggled again, much to her mortification, she really was turning into 'one of those girls!' she thought in disgust.

Bella met Edward's exasperated expression as he tried to pry her away from his sisters.

"Okay, girls, I think that you are embarrassing my girlfriend!" he said sternly.

This only earned him a smack on his arm from Rosalie as she sashayed past him to her seat, "Oh don't act so outraged, Edward – you are glowing like a bride!"

"What are we doing this afternoon?" Emmett said as they ate their starters, which was a tasty leek and potato soup.

Jasper looked around the table, "Well, I was talking to the manager and he said that the weather looks like it's going to begin warming up so he suggested that the snowmobile trails are still well covered and there is plenty of snow on the hills behind here, so what do you say?"

Emmett and Edward's faces lit up while Alice and Rosalie groaned.

Bella looked from one to the other, "From your reactions I take it that the guys love the snowmobiles while you two hate them?"

"We don't 'hate' them, Bells, but you have never seen these three when they become competitive!" Rosalie retorted.

"We are not competitive!" Jasper protested, while Emmett and Edward nodded in agreement.

"Oh please! You fight over who gets the last piece of white meat on the turkey!" Alice argued.

"So? That's just 'brother' stuff – anyway Mom lets me get it because I'm the youngest!" Edward said with a smug grin, which earned him a punch on the arm from Emmett.

"Hey!"

"Well you asked for it and you are not the 'baby' any longer, Assward; Bree is!" Jasper piped up.

"Yes but –"

"ENOUGH!" More than a few people turned to look at Rosalie as she glared around the table.

Bella sank down in her seat. She had learned from experience that the Cullen's were not shy and had no problem in being vocal in public.

"Now then, if you boys will promise to behave and if you promise not to try and kill us girls, then we can go snowmobiling." Rosalie said with her 'no nonsense mom look'.

Bella bit back a laugh as all three men nodded and mumbled a quiet, 'I promise'.

An hour later, Bella was wondering if she had been too hasty in her agreement.

Emmett, Jasper and Edward had been racing 'off some steam' for the past twenty minutes and although it was funny to hear their childish ribs and taunts as they raced around, throwing up billows of white snow, Bella couldn't deny that she was a little nervous. Because she couldn't ride a snowmobile, Alice and Rosalie had opted to ride tandem once the guys had calmed down.

The three women had sipped huge mugs of toasty hot chocolate as they watched their men race up and down the slopes.

Finally they pulled up and hopped off the bikes.

Bella couldn't help but lick her lips as Edward pulled his full face helmet off and then he ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up sexily.

"Hey Baby," Edward grinned as he wrapped his arms around Bella and pulled her close, in spite her weak protests that he was wet.

They were all wearing waterproof outer clothes, she and Edward were wearing matching black jackets, while Alice and Jasper wore blue and Rosalie and Emmett wore red.

"Are you ready, Bella?" he asked as he kissed the tip of her nose and them her lips.

"I think so, you aren't going to be reckless are you? Because that looked really fast." She said unsurely.

"Do you trust me?" Edward asked.

Bella bit her lip and nodded, "Yeah."

"Good, because I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Love."

Edward made sure that Bella was bundled up warmly before he put her helmet on and fastened the strap.

"All you've got to do is hold on to me, okay? It's like being on a motorbike, just move with me and hold on. If you do get scared, then just tap my leg and I'll stop."

"Okay."

The guys had decided to take one of the longer trails around the property and Bella watched as Jasper and Emmett took off with whoops of excitement.

Edward helped her on to the back seat and tipped her chin up so that they were looking at each other.

"I promise that I'll look after, my love."

Bella smiled, "I believe you."

Once Edward was on Bella wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and she buried her head as much as possible into his back.

Edward laughed as he patted her hands and leaned backwards, "Baby, I can't breathe if you hold me that tightly!"

Bella loosened her grip minuscule, "That's all you are getting, Cullen!"

With another laugh he started up the engine and took off making sure that he drove slowly, allowing Bella to get used to the feeling of it.

"Faster!" she shouted.

"Faster?"

Bella smacked his chest playfully, "Yeah! This is awesome!" she shouted and then she let out a squeal as he took off after his brothers.

Bella laughed more that afternoon than she ever remembered laughing before in her life. She found that she loved the feel of the wind as it whipped past them. Edward even took the time to give her a lesson and to her joy and to everyone else's amusement, he let her drive them back to the lodge.

Bella climbed of the snowmobile and almost fell over because her legs were weak. Edward steadied her with one hand while he took her helmet off with the other.

If he thought that she was glowing that morning, she was positively beaming now. Her eyes were bright and sparking and she was giving off waves of excitement.

Bella barely waited for Edward to take his helmet off and put them on the ground before she threw her arms around his neck, "That was the best fucking thing ever!"

At his cocked eyebrow Bella rolled her eyes, "Okay the second best, but if you ever give me shit, I'm leaving you for a snowmobile, I'm just saying!"

Bella pulled his face down and kissed him deeply, while the young attendant rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment at the public display that the couple was giving in front of the lodge.

"Get a room!" Emmett shouted as he and Rosalie walked up to them with Jasper and Alice not far behind.

"Shut up, Em!" Bella mumbled against Edward's now warm lips as she curled her fingers into his hair.

"Don't give him ammunition, Love." Edward said before he pulled away from her slightly.

"So we have arranged dinner at our villa for tonight seeing as we aren't going to see you guys tomorrow." Alice said.

Both Alice and Rosalie had to be back in Hope Springs the follow morning to fetch their children, while Edward and Bella were spending an extra night together.

"We will see you in an hour and don't get sidetracked!" Rosalie ordered.

Edward declined Bella's offer to 'scrub his back' even though she pouted in the most adorable way, stating that if he did get into the shower with her, they would end up doing much more than washing.

Just over an hour later, they walked up to the front door of the villa. When Emmett let them in, Bella was immediately enchanted. The double storey house was an exact replica of a ski chalet, complete with the deep balconies and over hanging roof. The timber was rich and deep brown and Bella inhaled the lovely cedar scent that hung in the air. The bottom floor boasted a large double volume great room with sitting room, dining room and kitchen combined as well as a short hallway that led to two large bedrooms with a connecting bathroom.

Upstairs were another two bedrooms that were the same size, except that these two rooms each had their own bathroom and one bedroom had a balcony.

Emmett showed Edward and Bella around while Alice and Rosalie mixed up what they swore was the best mulled wine, or _Glühwein_, that Rosalie swore she got from an elderly Swiss chef that she had met when she had gone to Europe after school.

Bella joined the girls while Edward, Emmett and Jasper set up the snooker table that stood on one side of the great room.

"What is _Glühwein_?" Bella asked.

"It's a mulled wine from Europe. I swear, it's the best thing to chase away any aches of a cold day in the snow." Alice said as she threw the lemon and orange peels into the large slow cooker.

Bella leaned over and sniffed the red, spicy liquid.

"Hmm, that smells good!"

Jasper laughed from behind them, "Don't be fooled Bella, that stuff packs a punch and a half! Ask those two how much kirsch they put in!"

"Don't listen to him little sister, they just don't appreciate the good stuff!"

Just then their catered dinner arrived and Bella wasn't surprised by the copious amounts of cloche covered dishes that were brought in by the three waiters.

Bella finished her second mug of _Glühwein_ as she reached for another helping of the delicious wild rice and thick beef 'beer' stew.

"You'd better slow down on the _Glühwein_ Sweetheart, that kirsch hits you suddenly." Edward said as Bella grinned sloppily at him and she poured another ladle of wine for herself.

"Oh come on Eddie, don't be such a grouch!" Bella said and then she giggled at her amusing comment.

Jasper and Emmett sniggered, "Yeah, Eddie!" they chorused.

"Shut up!" Edward griped as he wondered if he was carrying Bella home that evening.

Bella was having a wonderful time.

By the time that dinner was over, Bella had chugged so much of the mulled wine that she announced loudly to the room at large, that she had to 'pee like a camel' or else face the consequences. But then she began to dance to the music playing in the background. When Alice gently reminded her about her full bladder, Bella's eyes grew big – "oops! Godda go!" she said and grabbed Emmett's arm –"Gimme a lift cowboy!" she ordered, ignoring the resounding laughter around her.

"Hey Emmy? You gonna show me how to be a 'reverse cowgirl? I don't understand…" Bella sweet voice rang out clearly.

Edward face palmed as everyone laughed even harder.

Emmett let Bella hitch a ride to the bathroom on his back and Edward shuddered at the sight of Bella whooping like a cowboy and making whipping sounds.

"Fuck, she's going to regret this in the morning." He mumbled before he looked at his sisters-in-law with daggers in his eyes, "If she spends the night 'hugging the white telephone, I am calling you two!"

Bella leaned against the wall of the bathroom to steady herself. Once she was sure that she could make it, she quickly pulled down her panties and tights. Bella rested her chin on her hands that were propped up on her knees.

She loved Edward so fucking much, she thought hazily. She had gone from being all alone to having a big-ass family and so many friends that she didn't know what to do with them all.

Bella closed her eyes for a minute and then thought that she heard Edward calling her name, but there was knocking as well.

"Bella! Open the door, honey! Fuck, Emmett, we are going have to break the fucking door down!" Bang! Bang! "Bella! Open the door!"

Bella's eyes shot open, "Whaa – oh fuck! HANG ON!" She shouted before she moaned. _Fuck!_ Her head was pounding!

She got dressed and splashed water on her hot face. She felt hot and sweaty and she desperately wanted to take her clothes off and dive into the snow to cool down.

_That sounded like a great idea!_

The five Cullen's stood on the other side of the door staring at her in concern, "What's the matter? I wasn't gone long!"

Alice tried to hide her snort of laughter, "Bells, you were snoring like a freight-train!"

Bella waved her off and walked to the sliding doors, "Heeey! _Letsgosnowdiving!_ Commmmonnnn!" she said clearly as she began to wrestle with the most stubborn door in the world.

Edward looked at his brothers before he rolled his eyes, "Thanks girls! She's a 'runner!'."

He stepped up behind her and put his hands over hers, "Shhhh, love, why do you want the doors open? It's cold outside."

Bella rubbed the end of her nose with her palm, "Itchy." She mumbled before she focused on what Edward had said to her, "Ummmmm oh! Oh yeah! Lezzz go snnnnow driving, um diving – we take our clothes off and jump over – look! I'll show you, Babee, it's eazzeee!" Bella's eyes were wide with excitement.

With that Bella pulled the straps of her dress off her shoulders but she couldn't find the zipper and she began to turn in circles to see if she could see it. Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper were doubled over at the sight of Bella looking for all the world like a drunken puppy chasing her tail, her mumbled curses sounded like meaningless babble but it made absolute sense to Bella.

Edward's hand shot out as Bella managed to unlock the balcony door, "I don't think so Darlin'." He muttered as he pulled her flush against his chest, trying to pin her flaying arms to her sides.

"But Babee, it's gonna be such f-f-fun! Look, everyone wants to do it – ask 'em!" Bella whined.

"Come on, love, I think that we should get you back to the hotel before we take our clothes off."

Bella's head shot up and she swiveled around to face Edward as she swayed gently, "You wanna get naked with me, Eddie? You wanna take your clothes off and make me even hotter, hmm?" Bella looked up to see Jasper and Emmett sniggering and she licked her lips before she lifted one hand to point at them.

"Now, you can't be jealous okay? Coz my little Eddie is sooo pretty and boy is he big! And his pretty earring is '_Oh. My. God'! _If you know what I mean…" Bella tried to wink meaningfully but her eyelashes were sticking together.

A muffled comment and a not so muffled, "What the fuck?" made Edward's face turn red. He closed his eyes to try to drown out the image of his brother's teasing him mercilessly about his PA piercing.

_Fuck!_

"Okay! And that is way too much information, Darling girl, come on!" Edward said and he picked Bella up and pulled her hands over his shoulders before he turned around hoping against hope that no one had made any sense of Bella's last comment.

The four people standing in the middle of the great room were staring at him with varying degrees of dismay (Emmett), horror (Jasper) and envy? (Rosalie and Alice) - Edward shivered.

_Oh my god! Please don't let them ask, please don't –_

"Um, Edward? You have something to tell us?" Emmett asked.

"Or show us?" Alice tagged on which earned her a frown from Jasper and a gasp from Rosalie.

"Alice! No, okay, just no! The answer is no, this is not up for any sort of discussion! Now or ever! Thanks for supper and we will see you at home!" Edward ground out as he grabbed their coats, not bothering to put them on, but simply throwing them over Bella who let out a muffled protest and he quickly made his way out the front door.

Edward hardly noticed the short distance between the villa and the lodge, because he was concentrating on not dropping Bella who had begun singing.

Edward didn't pause inside; instead he took the stairs two at a time and thanked his lucky stars that he worked out regularly, because even a light-weight like Bella began to weigh a ton uphill in the snow!

Finally they reached their room and Edward threw the door open before he pulled the coats off Bella. She was red faced, sweaty and not happy at being disturbed in the middle of her song.

"Whatcha doing? I'm busy!" she snapped but then she moaned because her voice made her head sore.

"That's what I thought! Come on Sweetheart; let's get you undressed and comfortable."

After fifteen minutes of battling to get Bella out of her clothes because she was 'helping' him, Edward decided that she was never drinking again. He was panting and sweaty as he pinned her to the bed and removed her bra.

"Eddie, I'm hoooooot – let's go –go – um, letzgodo that, that – that thing. I can't remember now…"

Edward used the moment of confusion to undress quickly before he picked Bella up and carried her into the bathroom, not stopping until he was inside the shower. He set her down on the shower seat and turned the water on, startling Bella awake.

"WHAT THE FUCK, ASSHOLE!" Bella shouted as she clutched her throbbing head.

"Up you come and let's get you ready for bed."

Ten minutes later, Bella had been washed and cooled down and she was lucid. Edward rinsed the last of the soap off his chest and turned the water off.

He quickly dragged towel across his chest and secured it around his hips before he wrapped Bella in a warm, oversized towel. He went to pick her up when her face turned a deathly pale green.

"I don't feel so good…" she whispered before she raced to the toilet and began to throw up violently.

Edward was glad that he had secured Bella's hair into a messy bun before they showered. He put another towel on the floor and knelt down next to Bella. He rubbed her back as she heaved and cried at the same time.

Once it seemed that her stomach had ejected everything that she had consumed, Edward got up and fetched a bottle of cold water from the mini fridge in their bedroom. When he returned Bella was resting her head against the porcelain lip of the toilet, crying quietly.

Without saying a word, Edward rinsed a face cloth under the cold water and gently washed Bella's face before he returned and helped her to the basin.

"Brush your teeth Love."

Bella obeyed and brushed her teeth. She could not stop shaking and her teeth were chattering. For the first time Bella looked up to meet Edward's sympathetic gaze.

Her eyes filled with tears, "I'm so sorry that I embarrassed you tonight. I don't know what you must th-think of me." She said quietly as a lone tear slipped down her cheek.

"Hey, hey darling girl, come here!" Edward chided softly before he turned her around and pulled her into his arms.

Bella's hands gripped his arms as she began to cry again.

"Come on now, don't cry, my love, there is nothing to be sad about."

"But, but, I was …drunk! And I said some really, really stupid things!" Bella protested.

Edward kissed the top of her head, remembering at the last minute not to laugh.

"Come on, Bella, everyone has had too much to drink at one time or another, but you were amongst family so it's fine! Now, stop crying and take these two pills, I think your head will feel much better."

Bella swallowed the headache pills and after drinking the bottle of water, Edward led her into the bedroom. He pulled one of his T-shirts out of the drawer and pulled it over her head before he slid her under the covers.

Although all of her makeup was off, her eyes were red and puffy and her nose looked raw, but to Edward Bella had never looked more beautiful.

Her eyes closed almost immediately and Edward went back to clean up the bathroom and brush his teeth.

He put the bathroom bin next to Bella's side of the bed, together with a fresh wash cloth, a hand towel, a bottle of water and another two Advil's.

Just as he was about to turn the lights off, his phone rang and he huffed impatiently.

"Hey Jas…" Edward sighed resignedly and settled back on his pillows because he knew that this was going to be a long conversation.

=====HS=====

Bella was woken up by the most god-awful noise that she had ever heard. It sounded as if a thousand men sawing wood!

"What the…?" She exclaimed and opened her eyes.

The noise stopped.

Bella lifted her head and suddenly let it drop back to the pillows with a groan.

She wondered why she felt as if she had inhaled an ashtray and eaten sandpaper when she remembered snippets of the previous evening.

_Drinking… __Glühwein… the smell of oranges and cinnamon… eating…puking…_

"Aaagggghhh!" Bella gingerly sat up again, ignoring the throbbing in her temple. She saw the pills on the side of the bed which she quickly swallowed and chugged half the bottle of water gratefully.

She noticed that the bed was empty and when she looked at her phone she saw that it was just a little after eight.

She got up and used the bathroom she felt much better once she had brushed her teeth, washed her face and brushed her hair before retying it into a ponytail. She noticed that the shower was still wet and she went in search of Edward.

When she walked into the sitting room, she was relieved to see him sitting at the small dining room table, sipping his coffee and reading a newspaper.

Edward noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up with a smile, "Good morning Love. I ordered you some tea and toast." He said.

Bella nodded and walked over to where he sat. She pushed the newspaper away and sat down on his lap as she wound her arms around him and buried her face into the crook of his neck.

"Morning." She whispered.

Suddenly Bella felt vulnerable. She knew that she had misbehaved the night before and she had a sneaking suspicion that she had told his siblings that he had a pierced cock.

Edward gently massaged Bella's back as he kissed her cheek.

"Edward," her voice was muffled.

Edward smiled, "Yes, love?"

"Was I, I mean, how bad was it last night? Was I outrageous? Do you hate me?"

Edward chuckled and patted her bottom before he pried her off him so that he could look at her.

Bella's face was burning as she forced herself to look into his affectionate eyes.

"No, silly girl, I don't hate you. Last night, well you were rambunctious to say the least, but you didn't do anything close to what the five of us have done, so it's fine Bella."

"Really?"

Edward nodded, "Promise. Apart from Alice and Rose wanting to see my PA and Emmett and Jasper threatening to tell Esme about it, everything is just fine."

Bella groaned, "Oh Fuck! I'm so, so sorry!"

Edward hugged her tightly and laughed, "It's not so bad, love. They are going to tease us for a bit but then Em or Jas will fuck up and we will be old news. That's how it works in our family. Now smile, beautiful."

Bella began to smile and before she knew it a giggle slipped out and Edward nodded his approval and kissed her soundly.

The rest of the day passed quietly and they went for a walk after breakfast, only to hurry back to their suite to spend the afternoon and most of the night wrapped up in each other's arms.

Bella could not get enough of Edward and when he complained that his jaw was sore, she told him that he could just 'lie there' and she would do all the work!

Bella lay on her back in the dark room with her fingers combing through Edward's soft hair that was wilder than ever from the day of loving.

Edward turned and gently kissed her exposed nipple.

"I love you." Bella's voice sounded strained and Edward frowned before he sat up and switched his bedside lamp on, blinking quickly then he turned to see Bella quickly wiping a tear off her cheek.

"Bella Love, what's wrong?" he asked as he cupped her cheek in his hand.

Bella gave a half shrug and she tried to look everywhere else before she looked up at him, "I'm just being silly," she muttered.

Edward shook his head, "No you aren't. Now talk to me."

Finally Bella looked at him properly and Edward's heart stuttered at the sadness that he saw there, "I'm just missing you so much… I want to come home with you tomorrow." She said before her chin trembled and more tears escaped.

"I don't know what's wrong with me! I was never a cry baby and now that's all I fucking do!" She said as she turned over and buried her face in the sheet.

Edward leaned over her and pressed his lips to the back of her neck.

"I love you, Isabella Marie."

Edward began to pepper Bella's back, neck and shoulders with tiny, wet kisses until he heard her giggle then he put his arms underneath her and turned her around so that they were lying nose to nose.

Edward brushed her tears with the tips of his fingers before he tapped her chin, "I miss you too my love. I miss you every fucking day. I want to go to bed with you and wake up next to you. I want to spend every day of our lives loving you, Bella, but right now, you need to go to school baby, so that you can graduate and make your dreams come true."

Bella shook her head, "Maybe I can go to community college and stay at home?" she suggested.

Edward narrowed his eyes and Bella watched his mouth tighten in anger, "Isabella Marie Swan Cullen; I will whip your ass if you even think of dropping out of Johnson, do you hear me? You are going to stay and you are going to fucking stick it out and you are going to graduate with fucking honors on the Presidents list. After that you will come home you will be a wonderful teacher and then we are going to have lots of babies." Edward stopped his tirade when he ran out of breath but before he could speak again Bella put her fingers over his mouth.

He looked up to see her grinning at him, "Isabella Marie Swan Cullen?" She asked.

Edward shrugged, "I want to honor your father"

Bella nodded, "I like the sound of that, and by the way was that a proposal? Because if it was I must say it was pretty fucked up, Cullen!"

Edward could see the laughter in her eyes and he bit her hand lightly, "No, that was not a proposal, Miss Swan, when I propose to you, I will put a ring on your finger and you will know without a doubt that I am proposing to you."

Bella smiled, "Thank you for making me feel better, but I still miss you."

"Well just think about this; there are only a few short weeks until Spring break and before you know it the semester will be over and we will have the entire summer together, right?"

Bella sighed, "Yeah, I suppose."

Edward smiled and tweaked her nose, "Now, are you ready to go to sleep?"

Bella's eyes glittered dangerously, "Well, I'm awake now – how is your jaw?"

Edward smirked, "You know; we haven't played with your toys yet…"

Bella got up without saying a word and she quickly found the egg and rabbit in the side pocket of her bag. She walked back to the bed, conscious of Edward's darkening gaze upon her as she climbed back up.

Edward's eyes were almost black as he kicked the sheets to the bottom of the bed. Bella's eyes widened when she saw his cock standing stiff and thick with a couple of beads of precum glistening at the tip.

Bella licked her lips as she made a move towards where Edward lay.

He shook his head and stopped her, "Stay there," he drawled as he motioned for her to prop herself up against the foot-board with the pillows that he had thrown there.

Bella obeyed his directions and soon they were facing each other. Edward's eyes drew even darker as he opened his legs wide and motioned for her to do the same.

Bella blushed as she bit her lip and copied his movements. She watched his hands glide up his thighs before one hand cupped his balls while the other gave his cock an affectionate squeeze.

"Fuck," Bella breathed as Edward nodded for her to copy him. Her left hand slowly found her distended nipples and she moved her fingers from one side to the other pinching and twisting as goose bumps popped out all over her body. Her other hand moved down over her stomach before she bent her legs and let them fall open at the knees, exposing her pussy to his sight.

"You are so fucking beautiful, Love. Your pussy is so fucking wet for me! Let me see that sweet clit of your love."

Bella used her fingers to part her outer labia allowing her cherry pink clit to pop out.

Edward moaned as he licked his lips, "Fuck I want to taste your sweet cum right now."

He watched as Bella shivered at his words. He had discovered some weeks earlier that innocent little Bella Swan loved him to talk dirty to her.

"I want you to put that little bullet against your clit until your juices are dripping out of your pussy. Do it for me."

Bella was mesmerized by the combination of Edward's voice and the sight of his hand, flicking over the silver ball of his piercing and his fingers twisted and pumped his cock almost lazily.

She reached over and picked up the bullet as was about to put it against herself when she had an idea. Instead she lifted it and put it to her lips as her eyes met his.

Edward could feel his mouth drop open as he watched Bella's pink tongue snake out and lick the egg before she slid it between her lips.

"Hmmm…" she hummed and finally closed her eyes as if it was an ice lolly.

"Fuck, jeez, Bella… oh my fuck!" Edward felt his cock get even stiffer as Bella opened her eyes and smirked at him as she took the egg out of her mouth with a 'pop' and she cocked an eyebrow as she turned it on and moved it down to her glistening pussy. Edward didn't take a breath as he watched the small purple egg vibrate just behind Bella's clit and he watched as Bella trembled and she arched her back as the sensation drew her closer to a climax. She made sure that she didn't touch her clit directly or push the egg inside her channel as she knew that she would cum immediately.

Bella forced her eyes open to see Edward pumping his thick member faster, as he rolled his balls in time to her moving her hand up and down.

"Now use the rabbit."

Bella whimpered as she slowly withdrew the egg and put it next to her. She picked up the rabbit and eagerly rubbed it's 'ears' through her wetness before she positioned the ears at her clit and began to push it inside her heat.

"Tell me how it feels"

Bella's eyes shot up to meet Edward's. His eyes were almost feral and when she looked down she noticed that he was gripping his cock as if it was a weapon.

"Edward..." she said and began to lean forward.

"No – stay there – tell me how it feels to fuck yourself with that toy." His voice sounded demanding and fierce and Bella was dripping even more.

She flicked the remote on and moaned at the vibrations. "The 'ears' are pulsing against my clit, fuck, it feels so good, but the head and body are curved upwards and the 'nose' is hitting against my 'g-spot' – ohgodiwanttocum… Edward!" Bella's arched off the bed as she turned the remote up and her hand began to move faster.

It was the most erotic thing that Edward had ever seen and the orgasm that he had been keeping at bay suddenly sped up and then they were shouting as they both came with a ferocity that was mind-blowing.

Bella came a second time as she watched Edward's string of cum shook out of his cock, only to coat his stomach and chest.

Bella felt the bed move and then she felt a kiss on her lips. She looked up into Edward's eyes as he pressed his hips against hers.

Her eyes grew wide, "Is that your…?"

Edward grinned and swiveled his hips, "Apparently, seeing you masturbate does things to my 'little Eddie'…"

"Aaagh, um, 'little Eddie'?" Bella tilted her pelvis.

Edward nodded, "That is what you called my giant cock last night and you are going to need to pay for that…"

Bella loved 'paying' for the slip of her tongue so much that she paid twice more before they fell asleep, completely spent.

=====HS=====

Bella was fairly quiet on their way back to Johnson on Monday morning. Edward kept glancing at her but her face gave nothing away.

"I will see you on Friday, okay love?" he asked as the outskirts of the small college town came into view.

Bella sighed and she nodded, "I hope so. I just need to see if I can get all of my other papers finished by then. I also have to start thinking of finals."

Edward didn't comment but instead he drove to the boarding house. Bella didn't have classes until later that morning and after he helped her to carry her bag to her room, they stood at the top of the stairs with their arms around each other's waist.

Edward hated that Bella looked so unhappy and he gave up trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, "Come on baby, Spring break is in a week or so and then you can concentrate on finals."

Instead of prolonging their goodbye, Edward kissed her quickly and drove away. He missed her already but comforted himself with the knowledge that she would be home soon.

Their immediate future seemed frustrating, but Edward cheered himself up knowing that summer just around the corner.

**A/N: And so they are moving forward. The school year is almost over – thank goodness, all this angst is killing me!**

**Till next time,**

**Michele**

**BETA Fiorella'S RECS: By the way, Fi is still looking for a beta for her story Tangeled Hearts – if you are interested please P.M. her on her TWCS account – PEN NAME: FIMAGGIOLO!**

Here are some of the story I have been reading, they are ones that I have really enjoyed over the last couple of weeks.

TWCS

**His Cimmerian View by WeeKittyAndTAT - **Bella at age thirteen is left with nothing more than a fake ID, and two year old twin half siblings to care for. She makes due knowing it is up to her to give them a good life and education, she was never given. Working as a cleaner at the university five years later, she meets Professor Masen a man who believes all women are out to hurt, or destroy him. Can an uneducated Bella teach him something? What will happen when Bella is another woman who has hid the truth from him?

**Love Happens by Myyedward - **Tanya ran away on her wedding day. To save her Family's name Bella went on her place under the veil. How will Edward her new husband react.

**Hot Commodity by blueeyedcherry - **Edward Cullen is used to getting everything he wants. Good looking, wealthy, and charming, NYC's most reputable playboy doesn't take "no" for an answer. Then he meets Isabella Swan and all bets are off ... Except for one.

Fan Fiction

**Comp Sem 101 » by bornonhalloween** - What happens when a scholarship athlete and an English major from opposite coasts meet in a freshman writing seminar? Will they be drawn together or forced apart by their weekly discoveries of themselves and each other? All human college coeds!

**For the Summer » by camoozle** - Every year Bella waits for the 'Pay Checks' to roll into her sleepy river town and every year Edward's hers, just for the summer. AH, AU, OOC, B/E

**The Mail Order Bride » by Lady Gwynedd** - It's the late 1800s in the wild west. A lonely man seeks companionship; a woman restricted by convention seeks a future. Add those together and what do you get?


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 21-**_

_**Edward hated that Bella looked so unhappy and he gave up trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, "Come on baby, Spring break is in a week or so and then you can concentrate on finals."**_

_**Instead of prolonging their goodbye, Edward kissed her quickly and drove away. He missed her already but comforted himself with the knowledge that she would be home soon.**_

_**Their immediate future seemed frustrating, but Edward cheered himself up knowing that summer just around the corner.**_

**CHAPTER 22 – EASTER EGGS AND NEW FACES**

It seemed that time just flew by and Spring break was over, and in the blink of an eye Bella was tapping her foot in a fit of nerves, waiting for her name to be called.

Suddenly the person sitting next to her nudged her and she shot out of her seat and walked up the steps to the stage where the Head of the faculty of the English department Professor Murphy and the president of the college, Caius Volturi stood waiting for her.

Bella heard his voice from afar, "… _and every now and again, an extraordinary person joins our family at Johnston State College, someone who has such a hunger and passion for knowledge that they exceed all of our expectations. Well, it is my honor and privilege to introduce you all to such a person. Isabella Swan has achieved what few people have in her first year at university. She not only has far exceeded the credit requirements for the year, but she has done so in record time while achieving an almost perfect score. Her grade point average is 4.0 and I've been told this morning that Isabella has enrolled in our summer school program – she has done all of this while she has taken on a double Major - and so it is my pleasure to present this award for Academic Achievement to Miss Isabella Swan!"_

Bella knew that her cheeks were flaming red and she didn't dare look to the back of the hall where she could hear the entire Cullen family hooting and clapping wildly, drawing laughter and cheers from the rest of the crowd.

Bella walked forward as President Volturi shook her hand, "We are so very proud of you, Isabella. Congratulations!"

Her hand was shaking so badly that she was afraid that the framed certificate would drop from her hands as she accepted the congratulations of her teachers, before she hurried off the stage.

"BELLS!"

The assembly was over and everyone was making their way to find their families. Bella spun around just as she was lifted off the ground.

"Come here you genius!" Emmett kissed her cheek noisily and handed her over to Jasper.

"Congratulations, Bella, you deserve it." He said quietly.

Bree hugged Bella and grinned at her, "Thanks for getting me the day off school, Sis."

Bella laughed, "My pleasure, Little Sis, this will be your day in a few years and you know that I couldn't have done it without all of you guiding me."

"Nonsense, Sweetheart," Carlisle said as he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a warm hug. He kissed her cheek and put his hands on her shoulders, "You have worked so hard, Bella, you are the one that studies and puts the time in so you deserve to give yourself some credit; this is your moment, kid, enjoy it."

Bella blinked against the sudden burning behind her eyes – damn tears! "Thanks, Carlisle."

Bella looked around for Edward and saw him talking to Dash, Russell, Casey and Brenda. He looked up as if he knew that she needed him and smiled at her.

Edward had deliberately given Bella some room when the rest of the family had descended upon her after the assembly. He was so damn proud of her and he hadn't told her that the entire town had been in an uproar because he had not given his permission for them to host a 'Bella Barbeque' in her honor. Carlisle had loved the controversy that this had caused at the last town meeting and Edward smiled as he remembered Carlisle promising the rest of the town, that 'if I become mayor, we will celebrate all of our sons and daughters achievements!' – Edward couldn't wait for the election so that he could step down from 'office.'

He saw Megan and Brandon arrive and was about to excuse himself from talking to Bella's friends when he saw Bella look for him with a hint of panic in her eyes.

She had become so much better over past months in dealing with strangers but he knew that from time to time she still struggled with it and he quickly moved over to where she stood and he smiled as Bella quickly shifted from Carlisle's arm into his.

"You okay, Love?" he asked quietly as he kissed her temple.

Bella nodded and then rolled her eyes she watched Esme lead the good looking couple towards them, " … and we are so thrilled that you could make it. We are so proud of our girl and her she is – Bella, these are our very good friends and extended family, Brandon and Megan Hale, and this is Edward's and our Bella."

"Hey Meg, Brandon! We didn't expect to see you here!" he said, giving Bella a moment to calm herself.

Megan reached over and gave him a hug and a kiss, "Edward, you are looking well, sweetie!" Bella couldn't help but smile at the small woman who looked so much like Alice, "You must be the famous and from what we heard, very clever Bella! It's great to finally meet you."

Bella was pulled out of Edward's arms and found herself being hugged by the petite dark haired woman before Brandon shook her hand and Bella smiled up at the tall, statuesque blonde man whose eyes were a carbon copy of his daughter and granddaughter's eyes.

"Bella, if this one pulls an 'Edward' again and he gets freaked out or upsets you, you just let me know and I will have no problem in kicking his ass for you!" Brandon said with a wink to Bella, as he pulled Edward into a one-armed hug and choke hold.

"As if, old man – Jas and Em and I will kick your ass!" Edward growled.

"Speak for yourself, E, that's my girl's daddy that you are manhandling!" Emmett chirped.

Bella laughed as the rowdy men as they jostled each other on the lawn.

"Boys! Don't make me regret letting you out of the car!" Esme snapped.

Bella and Megan smothered a laugh as Emmett, Jasper and even Brandon straightened up quickly and muttered, "Sorry, May-May" and "yes, Ma'am".

"We had better head out if we want to make our booking." Carlisle said and the group began to move away to their waiting cars.

Carlisle had booked a private dining room at La Vie en Rose*. Alice and Rosalie had sent their apologies as they were running late.

Bella listened to Esme and Megan talking about the antics of their grandchildren.

"Oh God, Essie, I can't wait to see them! I know that they have grown in leaps and bounds because the girls sent us a new DVD last month and I can't believe how much bigger they are!"

"I know. Last week Brady didn't say 'dem' at the dinner table either! Instead he pronounced his 't-h' sound perfectly and I burst into tears!"

"Oh no!" Megan exclaimed and Bella smiled sadly as she walked next to Edward. She had noticed that her little champion had grown in the past months. He had lost a lot of his 'toddler chubbiness' and Bella had noticed more and more how gown up he was becoming. She was going to miss it when Brady didn't call her 'my Belle' any longer. A couple of weeks earlier he had actually called her 'Bells'.

Once at the quant French bistro, the noisy adults were shown to a long table in a room that overlooked the back garden.

Alice and Rosalie had arrived and were waiting for them on the sidewalk. Bella was touched that Alice and Rose hugged and congratulated her before they greeted their parents. Seeing Rosalie standing next to Brandon, Bella couldn't help but wonder what her mother had looked like, because Rosalie had her father's height, his high cheekbones and his piercing blue eyes.

Alice and Megan could have been sisters and not mother and daughter. Megan had laughter lines that she wore proudly but the pent up energy and the enthusiasm for life was exactly the same. The only visible difference between the two women was that Megan's hair was short and spiky whereas Alice's was long.

Bella sat between Edward and Jasper, with Emmett sitting between Alice and Rosalie. The table was broad at the head and Carlisle and Megan sat at one end, while Esme and Brandon sat on the other side.

Once everyone was seated, and everyone had a flute of champagne in their hands Carlisle stood up and tapped his glass.

"It's wonderful that our family is all together for this celebration. Bella; you have been such a blessing and a wonderful addition to our family. We are very proud of you; Sweetheart and we know that you are going to do great things in your life. You work hard and you are so determined and Essie and I feel that you inspire us all to do better." Carlisle looked around the table and he wasn't surprised to see Esme, Alice and Rosalie wiping their eyes. Even Emmett and Jasper looked red-eyed. He knew that he had to lighten the mood so he looked at Bella who was blushing and clutching Edward's hand tightly. "Keep up the good work, and have fun this summer and that young lady, is an order!" Carlisle said in mock severity as he wagged his finger at Bella.

Everyone laughed and Alice laughed when she saw that Bella had put orange juice into her champagne, "No 'snow diving' today Bells?"

"Snow diving? What the heck is snow diving?" Bree asked loudly.

Bella was scarlet and hid her face in Edward's shoulder, only to shot up when Emmett said, "Oh yeah, Mom… you know how you were worried when E had his tongue pierced – well that's not all he –"

"EMMETT SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Edward roared.

"Language! Boys please! Dear God! Megan, are you sure that you don't want to adopt my children? Because it seems that they were raised by damn wolves!" Esme snapped as she glared at her sons.

Carlisle sniggered as he looked over at Edward and Bella who had raced around the table and was busy pounding on Emmett's shoulders.

"Edward, did your brother see your…" he said.

Bella let out a final growl at Emmett and returned to her seat as she stared at Carlisle in horror.

Edward quickly shook his head, "No – um, Bella kinda let it slip the other night." He mumbled as the tips of his ears turned red.

Jasper looked at his father and then at Edward, "Wait, what? You know?" he glared at Edward accusingly, "He knows?"

Edward shrugged and was about to answer when the waiters brought in their starters.

Bella sighed in relief. "Sorry" she whispered to Edward.

Edward tuned his family's chatter out and turned to look at Bella, "There is nothing to be sorry about. I really don't care if my family knows, Love." He leaned closer, "All I care about is if you like it."

Bella gasped, "You know that I do." She mumbled.

Edward's hand snaked up her thigh and he squeezed hard, "Isabella – I will not last through lunch if you say things like that!"

Bella leaned back and glared at him, "You started it Mister!"

Lunch carried on in a light hearted, rowdy manner with everyone teasing and poking fun at each other. As they sipped coffee, Bella sat back, content to just listen to snippets of conversations and look around the table.

She looked up to see Brandon smiling at her, "Edward, swap places with your lovely girlfriend, we haven't had a chance to talk yet – so move over bucko!"

Edward and Bella changed seats and Edward wasn't surprised to feel Bella's small hand search for his. He lifted her hand and kissed it before tucking it against her chest and giving Brandon a warning look.

"Meg and I have heard so much about you, Bella. The kids can't stop raving about you and well; I can see how happy Edward is. But going from being alone to being in a large family can sometimes be daunting, right?" Bella found Brandon's forthright manner just as refreshing as Rosalie's.

"It can be – I mean it takes some getting used to and I still like to have my own space, you know?"

Brandon nodded, "I understand. Rosie and I were alone for a long time and when I met Meg, it took a long time for me – well us to make a decision to join our families. Tina, Rosalie's mother died in childbirth and she and I had dated from when we were twelve years old, so I had never been with anyone else. My parents died when I was a teenager and I had lived with my grandmother before Tina and I got married. Tina got pregnant right away and she was only twenty-one when she died." Bella could see how much his late wife's death still saddened him.

"That must have been hard for you. Does Rosalie look at all like her mother?"

Brandon smiled, "She is the perfect combination of her mother and I. She has her mother's smile and eyes."

Bella smiled sadly, "That's nice. I don't know whom I look like. I think I look more like my father. I have his dark hair and eyes. I've not seen a picture of my mother. I'm going to meet some of Charlie's friends down in Phoenix this summer. I'm curious, you know, but at the same time, I'm nervous to be back there… Arizona doesn't hold any good memories for me." She said quietly.

Brandon reached over and patted her hand, "So, you will make new memories. You and Edward are going after you come to us, right?"

Bella nodded.

"That's good. Summer classes will be over and you will be more relaxed and these people were your father's friends. They knew him. They knew you and I'm sure that you will find some answers, Bella. But even if you don't – you have chosen your own path in life and from what I've seen since I've met you, I think that your father would be very proud of you."

Bella smiled and let Brandon's words roll over her_. Would Charlie be proud of her? _

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly and all too soon, the party was breaking up. Bella was off for the rest of the day, but she still had two days of classes before heading home for Easter.

Edward drove Bella back to the boarding house. Bella had been quiet for the latter part of lunch and Edward wondered if something was wrong.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked as he put the truck into park and took his seatbelt off.

Bella's eyes skittered away as she looked out of the window, "Yeah, it's been a long day. I was nervous this morning and then meeting Brandon and Megan and lunch… Brandon said that Charlie would be proud of me and it just got me thinking, I wondered if he would be?"

Edward put two fingers under her chin and tilted her head to meet his eyes. He saw sadness there and a longing that he knew had nothing to do with the day and everything to do with her father.

"Baby, if your dad was as amazing as you are – he was probably a remarkable man. He raised you alone until he died, Bella, that's huge. He obviously loved you enough to uproot his life and move you to where he thought you would have a better life together. What is worrying you?"

"I'm just scared you know? I don't know how much of my life his friends know about, and I just hate having to go back there."

Edward frowned and he looked almost severe as he looked at Bella, "Isabella, nothing is going to happen to you. Those fuckers that mistreated you are locked away and they are going to stay locked away for a fucking long time. You have nothing to fear – I promise you. Mom, Dad and I will be with you all the time and if you feel that it's too much, we will come home, okay?"

Bella nodded but ducked her head down. Edward wasn't having any of that and he tipped her chin up, "Okay?"

Bella sighed and blinked quickly, "Thank you for always knowing what to say to me. I know that you will keep me safe."

Edward kissed her and moaned when he had to pull away, "Hmm, baby, I've got to go. I'll see you in a couple of days, yeah?" he said and kissed her again.

Bella pouted, "I guess so! I love you. Thank you for being here."

"You are very welcome, Love."

=====HS=====

Easter in Hope Springs was something that Bella had only ever imagined. There was an Easter Parade, where all the children of the town (and a couple of neighboring towns) took part. The kindergarteners were dressed as flowers and Bella laughed as one of the vines broke out of his line and raced over to shout, "Hey my Belle! I'm da grape vine like in May-May's garden! Hey Mommy!"

The next group was Easter bunnies and Easter eggs and Bella waved as the children stopped to greet their families and friends.

The middle school children handed out brightly colored eggs to the crowd. Bella had been thrown into Easter preparations as soon as she had arrived home. All of the shops on Main Street had been decorated and the town square had been turned into an Easter egg hunting maze for the smaller children, although Bella was sure that she had seen Emmett popping a marshmallow egg into his mouth as he came out of the maze earlier with Emma and Brady.

The highschoolers came down the street and Bella could not stop cheering loudly as she saw Bree standing on top of a float, dancing with Riley. They were in period costumes and Bree looked beautiful in her light blue ball gown. Riley looked dashing in his top hat and tails.

Edward growled next to her and he knocked Jasper who was standing next to him, "Look at where that little sh-um, brat's hand is, man!"

"Damn! I knew that Dad had been slacking in the intimidation department! Doesn't this kid realize that between you, Emmett and I, we can kill him without a trace, make it look like an accident and get away with it?" Jasper responded.

Bella swung around and smacked Jasper on the arm and Edward in the middle of his chest. "Don't you two start, and don't get Emmett going, for heaven's sake! He is like a hysterical virgin when it comes to the girls in this family! Leave them be! They are not having sex! They are not even fooling around, so just leave them alone!"

Edward and Jasper looked at each other and then at Bella. Bella realized her mistake too late.

_Fuck!_

Jasper narrowed his eyes at her, "What do you know, Isabella?"

Bella took a step backwards and stumbled into Mrs. Prescott and Muggings, her ugly as hell Chihuahua.

"So sorry Mrs. Prescott!"

Mrs. Prescott touched her blue hair and glared at the two men behind her, "That's alright, Dear, Muggings has been missing you in the shop. Are these to miscreants bothering you, Bella? You can tell me, you know, I taught them in second grade and I boxed the Cullen boys ears more than I can say!"

Bella giggled as Edward and Jasper both looked a little afraid and Edward's hand shot up to his ear.

"Hello, Ma'am. How are you, Ma'am? Jasper and I were just teasing Isabella. No harm, no fowl. Oh! Look here, we got to go, don't we? We do! Come on, honey!" Without taking a breath, Edward grabbed Bella's arm as Jasper zipped around the other side, hooked his arm through Bella's and they lifted her off her feet as they almost spirited her away from Mrs. Prescott.

Bella was laughing so hard as she air peddled. They finally set her down and Bella sat down on the bottom step of the town square gazebo and howled with laughter as the two men stood glaring at her with their hands on their hips.

"Is she on drugs?" Jasper snapped at Edward.

Edward shrugged, "I think it's the tension of finals."

Bella wiped her tears off her cheeks and let out a ragged sigh.

"Oh my word, that was funny! You two are terrified of Mrs. Prescott, who is eighty if she's a day and she has blue hair! You are so sad – both of you!"

Jasper glowered at her, "I will have you know that that 'eighty year old' is a terror! She was horrible to us, Cullen kids! I was an angel in second grade and she, well she boxed my ears for nothing! I thought I was going deaf!"

Bella put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing again. She raised her eyebrows instead, "Really?" she said before she covered her mouth again.

Edward nodded vigorously, "That's right and Mom had to go to the school…"

They both turned to look at Bella expectantly.

Bella couldn't hold in her laughter and longer and a giggle escaped.

"You think that this is funny?" Edward demanded.

"Oh Edward; I'm sure that it was traumatic at the time, but it was over a long time ago and maybe, just maybe you deserved an ear tug?"

Edward grumbled under his breath, "Well, it was all Emmett's fault you know; he was a terror in school he drove the teachers to distraction and we paid the price for his shenanigans!" he said sulkily.

Bella stood up on the step and put her arms around Edward's neck, "Come here, you poor baby."

The corners of his mouth tilted upwards, "You wanna make me feel better?"

Bella kissed him quickly, "I'm going to make you feel a whole lot better later. But we have to meet everyone back at your mom's house for lunch."

Once in the truck, Edward turned to face Bella, "How do you know that Riley and Bree aren't you know… fooling around?"

Bella sighed, "Because I talk to your sister, Edward! Same as you and your silly brothers should! Brianna is a smart girl. She knows first-hand from me what the consequences of having sex too young can be and what can happen, and she isn't about to make the same mistake. In any case, she and Riley have plans. They both want to finish school and go to college before they think of making it a permanent thing. You should talk to her, baby. Bree sees you guys all the time, but you seldom sit and talk to her about stuff. She misses you." Bella said as she ran a hand over Edward's leg.

Edward sighed, "She does?"

Bella nodded, "Yes, of course she does. She adores all of you but you have always been her favorite."

Edward grimaced and ran an agitated hand through his hair, "Shit, you're right. Bree and I used to hang out a lot, but lately, well, it's like we don't have much time. Fuck! I need to fix this."

Bella cleared her throat, "Well, Bree told me that you kids used to go camping towards the end of summer, so maybe that's something that the four of you could do again?"

Edward pulled in behind Jasper's cruiser and turned the car off, "What about you? Will you come with us? I don't want to go without you."

Bella smiled but shook her head; "I think that you four should do this without wives, girlfriends, parents or kids. I think that Bree needs to know that you guys still have a place for her in your lives. It's easy to get lost in a crowd, you know?"

Edward nodded, "Okay. Well I'm going to talk to the guys and see what they say and then we will ask Bree. Thank you love."

Bella smiled, "Any time."

=====HS=====

Bella was staying with Edward while Brandon and Megan stayed in the garage apartment for the weekend. She didn't mind sharing Edward's home and his bed and she liked to pretend that it was her home as well.

Roscoe was ecstatic to have his humans living together and the only glitch was that he waited patiently for Bella to go into the guest bedroom where she had stayed before and his nose was a little out of joint when Edward told him that Bella stayed in his room now.

On Saturday night, Bella stepped out of Edward's shower only to hear him on his phone.

She didn't intend to eavesdrop but she couldn't help but overhear Edward's side of the conversation.

"_I'm not sure that she will want to go, Ma. Yes, I know that its tradition and that it's important for us to go as a family. Well, I don't want to go without her…"_

Bella sighed; she knew that Esme was asking Edward to ask her to go to church in the morning. Esme had tried very hard not to pressure Bella but Bella knew how upset Esme was that Edward had said that he was not going to leave Bella alone at home.

She towel dried her hair and wrapped one of the bath sheets around her and tucked it under her arms before she walked out of the room.

Bella quickly found one of Edward's T-shirts and she pulled it on.

Edward was standing at the large bay window, overlooking the back garden. Bella walked up behind him and slid her arms around his waist as she placed a kiss between his shoulders.

Edward covered her hands with his, "Hmm, you smell so good. Are you tired?" he asked as he turned around.

They kissed languishingly and Bella's hands reached up to pull Edward down closer to her as their kiss became heated.

"Hmmm, so tempting – but can we talk real quick?" Edward said as he moved away from Bella, but kept hold of her hand.

Bella frowned slightly, "Is something wrong?"

Edward shook his head as he sat down on the plush loveseat and pulled Bella down onto his lap.

"Nothing's wrong, Love, but you know that tomorrow is a major family tradition of going to church in the morning and then we all go back to the 'rents for lunch, right?"

Bella nodded but she couldn't stop her heart from racing with anxiety.

Edward was a little nervous to bring up the subject with her as whenever he had mention church before, Bella had shot him down, but he know that this was a conversation that they needed to have.

"Can you tell me why you are so afraid of going to church? Mom and Dad would really love for you to come to church tomorrow, Love." he asked gently.

Bella stiffened and she made to move off his lap, but he held her firmly against him.

"Don't run, Bella. Please talk to me. I know that you are afraid of something or someone but we promised that we would talk, remember?"

Bella nodded but kept her head down.

_Suddenly she was seven years old again and she could see herself sitting in the church pew of the small chapel that she and the other children from the home passed each day._

_There had been a discussion in the playground that day when a little girl had told everyone that her uncle had died and her mother had told her that her 'uncle Mauro' wasn't going to heaven because he hadn't been confirmed into the church by their parents. Bella didn't know what that meant but she knew that she didn't have parents so how was she going to get to heaven? Would they be up there waiting for her?_

_Bella didn't know what her parents had done or if they had gone to church and she had always hoped that they would be a family again in heaven. So that day instead of going straight back to the home, Bella had opened the heavy church door._

_She looked around her with interest. When she saw the figure hanging on a cross at the front of the church she had been morbidly fascinated. She had heard about baby Jesus and she knew that he died at Easter, but she had never seen him before._

_She looked at the kneeling figures around the cross and wondered who they were._

"_Hello? Was there something that you wanted?" She looked up to find the elderly minister standing on the aisle._

"_Who are those people with him?"_

_The man looks to where I am and he smiles, "Well that is his mother and one of his disciples. He had just told him that Mary was no longer His mother but now she was John's."_

"_Baby Jesus gave His mommy away?" Bella was shocked._

_The minister nodded, "He did. Everyone dies alone."_

"_I-is he with his mommy in heaven?"_

_The man paused before he answered, "Well, there are no mommies or daddies in heaven. God is our Father."_

_Bella gasped as she looked up towards the crucifix behind the alter as her eyes filled with tears._

"_But… but if they aren't in heaven… then, then that means I'm going to be a-alone forever?" her young heart was beating wildly._

_She had hoped that at least she would belong to someone, one day, even if it was in the afterlife._

_The man had tried to speak again, but Bella jumped up and ran out of the church._

_Bella remembered walking out of the chapel and walking to the home slowly. She was punished for being late by the house mother, but she didn't care. She lay in her small cot and cried for the last time. She was going to be alone forever. She didn't want God as her father – she wanted a real father! She wanted to belong and she knew that if she turned her back on God then she was going to be truly alone – forever._

Bella blinked as the memory receded and she turned to look at Edward. She became aware of the tears glistening on his thick dark lashes. She also saw the pity in his eyes and she shot up off his lap.

"Don't fucking pity me, Edward! I don't need you pity, okay? I was just a stupid kid – what the fuck did I know? I'm not some fucking charity case that you need to pity, Edward!" she gave a hard bark of laughter that left Edward ice cold.

Bella's eyes grew cold and distant as her lip curled up in a sneer, "You know – just because you are a hot-shot doctor and one of this town's 'favorite sons', that doesn't mean that you can just fix everything! I'm not some fucking toy that you can pick up and put down when you feel like it! You people don't ever stop fucking pushing! I am fine with you!"

He could see the walls flying up around her as she paced across his bedroom.

"Isabella – I do not pity you! Do I feel sorry for that little girl, of course I do! She was only a child! She was scared and lonely and she wanted reassurance that her parents were in heaven – waiting for her, watching over her – she didn't want some fucking lesson in religious theology! Do I pity you? NO! I admire you! I love you! Don't put up your walls, Bella. I know what you are doing – just stop it!" Edward was standing in front of her, his chest heaving with emotion and frustration.

Bella shook her head and walked towards the bedroom door, "I can't do this right now. I don't need this shit. I – I just need to be alone for a bit."

Her eyes were still cold and distant but she felt terrible when she saw the flash of hurt on his face but then it was gone and in its place was a sad understanding.

"Okay – you can use your old bedroom." He said mildly.

They stared at each other for a moment before Bella whispered, "I'm sorry." and she walked across the hall. Edward watched as the door closed quietly behind her.

Roscoe stood up and glared at him before he too walked out of the room and he planted himself firmly at the closed door across the hall.

Edward wanted to hit something. He knew that he shouldn't have pushed her, but how were they ever going to move forward if she kept putting up walls. Edward sighed and made his way to his bathroom. Twenty minutes later he felt a bit calmer, he dried off quickly and hung up his towel before he brushed his teeth and turned the light out.

The main lights in his room had been turned out and only the bedside lamps were on. Edward frowned. He didn't turn the lights out… a slight movement made him look up.

Bella stood in the doorway, wearing one of his T-shirts. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders and she was clutching her hands together.

Edward became conscious of the fact that he was naked when Bella's eyes raked over him hungrily before she bit her bottom lip.

Edward walked over to his closet and pulled out a pair of sleep pants. He ignored her and put his pants on before he turned around.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he sat down on the foot of the bed.

Bella gave a half shrug but didn't move from the doorway.

"I, um, I just wanted to say goodnight to you." She said quietly.

Edward wanted to role his eyes. He knew that was not the reason that Bella was standing in the doorway.

Edward decided to call her bluff and he pushed himself up and gave her a smile. "Oh! Okay then, night, Love. I will see you in the morning." He said as he climbed into his bed and pulled the covers up to his waist and put his hands behind his head.

Bella stood in the doorway for a few minutes before she huffed and returned to the guest bedroom. Edward smirked as she closed the door a little too firmly.

Edward let out a long breath that he had been holding.

He felt a little guilty but he also knew that it was important that Bella learn to talk to him without him having to coax the words from her.

Edward switched off his light and settled down for the night. Being a doctor who had spent many nights without sleep or interrupted sleep, he had learned to sleep whenever and wherever he could.

=====HS=====

When Bella had left Edward's room she had escaped into her old bedroom and she had stood in the dark room. She was angry that Edward had forced her to relive one of the most painful memories of her childhood.

Bella walked across the room and threw herself onto the window seat. Suddenly she wished that she were back at her apartment. She didn't feel so alone there. A part of her wanted nothing more than for Edward to come and find her. He usually did. He was normally patient and sweet with her, getting her to open up with kisses and kind words. But he wasn't doing that.

Bella felt her anger rise. He never made her make the first move! He knew that she didn't do apologies and he was the one that would come and find her if she walked away or if the family got too much and she needed a few moments alone. Bella sighed. She knew that Edward was only telling her the truth. He loved her and she knew that. She had been in the wrong – she shouldn't have said those nasty things to him. She could see that he was hurt by her actions and words. She also knew that she needed to apologize, but she hated to admit that she was wrong!

Bella pulled her legs up and hugged her knees as she looked out of the window with a frustrated sigh.

Bella had never been to church. Not that she remembered. After she had left the small church that day, she had vowed not to ever go back. _If God had taken her parents away and now they were lost somewhere, why should she go to His House?_ Bella had simply blocked it out and she had not given it another thought.

When she had come to live in Hope Springs and Esme had brought up the subject of church, Bella had brushed it off, making excuses until she had finally told the Cullens that she 'didn't do church' and up till now they had respected her decision. Even at Christmas, they had not pushed her to attend the service, but Bella knew how Esme and Carlisle felt and she knew that it was important for them all to attend the Easter service as a family.

She just couldn't shake the fear that if she walked into the church after all that she had done and said, God would surely strike her down. _He had taken her parents and she was alone. Well, she had been until the Cullens. What if God wanted them too? What if He made them realise that she was nothing? What if He made them change their minds about her and they made her leave? She would be alone again._

Suddenly Bella needed to make sure that Edward was still there. She raced across the room and flung her door open.

"Edward?" she said as she looked around the seemingly empty room in panic.

The sound of the shower running calmed her down slightly. Of course he was still here! Bella turned the top lights off and the room was instantly bathed in the soft glow from the bedside lights. Bella wondered if she could just slide into the bed.

Just as she was contemplating doing just that, Edward walked out of the bathroom. Bella's mouth popped open at the sight of his naked, steaming body. Her eyes roamed over his chest and the tattoo on his side. She loved that it was hidden away from people because it made her feel that under his conventional clothing, he was a little dark and dangerous. Bella bit her lip at the sight the dusting of hair on his chest that tapered down to the fuck sexy arrow that pointed to the tapered nest of dark auburn curls. Bella licked her lips when she looked at the pierced, semi hard cock.

She watched as he turned and pulled on a pair of black cotton sleep pants and she had to bit her lip hard to keep from moaning at the sight of his chiseled backside.

_God! Just the sight of him had her wet and wanting._

Edward caught her watching him and she felt the color rise in her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked.

Bella was suddenly nervous and she gave him a shrug, "I um, I just wanted to say goodnight to you."

Edward responded by wishing her a 'goodnight' and then to her shock he climbed into bed, pulled the covers up to his hips and put his hands behind his head as he sighed and relaxed into the bed.

Bella stood glaring at him for a moment before she swung around and walked back to her room and closed the door firmly. Okay, so maybe I slammed it a little.

An hour later Bella was no closer to sleep than before. She had tried to sleep, but knowing that Edward was asleep a few feet away was driving her crazy. She knew that she needed to get her act together. She had to get over her childish fear of going to church. She had gotten to know Betty and Pastor Craig Biers well over the months that she had attended the grief support group with Rosalie and she had even asked Craig some questions, but she had never outright asked him about what the old minister had told her. She had never revealed her fears to him or anyone. Not even Jasper.

Bella was so tired but she couldn't sleep. After punching the pillow for the thousandth time, Bella sat up.

_This is ridiculous!_ She thought to herself as she climbed out of the bed that had always given her a great night's sleep but this night it was as if there were rocks in her bed!

After another ten minutes Bella climbed out of bed and pulled the comforter and pillow of the bed.

She opened the door quietly and almost screamed when Roscoe sat up but she shook her head at him and with a sigh he lay down again.

_These humans were weird._

Bella pushed Edward's door open. She could just make out his outline in the bed. He was sprawled on his back in the middle of the bed. Bella's heart sank. She had hoped to be able to lie on one side of the bed but there wasn't much space on either side.

Bella shuffled to the side of the bed and folded the comforter before she put it on the floor. She pulled the throw off the loveseat and lay down. Just hearing Edward's even breathing was calming her down and she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with a sigh.

Edward waited for about twenty minutes before he sat up and looked over the side of his bed.

_She was so fucking stubborn sometimes! _

Bella looked so young and small curled up on her side facing him. Her mouth was pursed into a pout and there was a slight frown between her eyes.

Edward wanted to pull her into the bed with him but he knew that Bella had to come to him – it was important and so he lay down again.

A couple of hours later Edward was awakened to sounds of Bella in the middle of a dream.

"… hmm… sorry, I'm so sorry Baby. Please don't leave me. Please stay… Edward stay! Please!" Bella's voice rose until she sat up with a whimper.

Edward turned the side lamp on and looked over so see Bella staring at him with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Edward! I'm, I mean, you deserve so – so much more than me. I'm so, so broken… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean those things earlier and I wanted to apologize but then I was scared that you wouldn't believe me… Edward, I've been alone and I don't want to lose you all. I want to be a part of your family and… and I want to go to church with you all tomorrow." Bella was trying hard not to sob but when she finished her little speech, hard on the heels of her dream where Edward was walking away from her and the image of the dream just became too much and she could feel the desperation in her voice.

She hated being so vulnerable but she had learned over the past months that loving people meant letting them in to the places that hurt. Jasper had told her months ago that to heal, she had to scrape off the 'scabs of the past.'

Edward bit back a curse as he sat up and pulled Bella into his arms.

She clung to him, crying as she had the night that she had miscarried and the sound of her heart ache, made Edward hold her even tighter against him as he rocked them in the bed.

Once Bella had stopped crying and felt calmer she loosened her grip on Edward's neck and peered up at him through her swollen eyes.

"I was so angry that God had taken my parents away from me. I thought that He didn't think that I deserved parents or a family. I decided a long time ago that I didn't need anything or anyone in my life and that if I just kept everyone out and depended on myself then I would be fine." Her voice was husky from her tears but Edward could see the vulnerability and determination in her eyes.

"I don't want to be like that anymore. I love you and I love being a part of your family. I want to believe that I can have a future. I want to believe that I deserve this life that seems to be waiting for me – for us. I don't want to shut you out and hurt you anymore and I'm sorry that I was mean earlier. I want to try and go to church with you…"

When Edward went to protest she put her fingers over his lips, "Please – I need to try, not for you or Esme and Carlisle, because I know that none of you will love me any less if I don't go, but I need to do this for me. I can't live my life in fear any longer – just waiting for Him to take away the people that I love. I need to face Him, can you understand that?"

Edward nodded and then he gently moved her hand, "I love you so much, Baby and I am so proud of you for opening up to me. Let's try and get a few hours sleep before we need to go, okay? And if at any time, you feel that you need to leave the church or it becomes too much for you, I promise that no one is going to judge you, Bella. We all love you and we want you to be happy."

Edward tucked Bella into his side and stoked her hair, as she lay curled around him. She fell asleep quickly but sleep seemed to elude Edward for the time being.

His arms tightened around her when she whimpered in her sleep and he smiled as he felt her hitch her leg over his stomach.

He knew that every obstacle that they overcame was just one step closer to helping Bella become whole again.

=====HS=====

Bella could hardly choke down the piece of toast that Edward put in front of her with a stern warning to eat. She was so far beyond nervous that she wanted to puke her guts out and she had done just that when she had woken up and remembered that she was going to church that morning.

After a shower and getting dressed in a soft blue skirt that swirled around her knees, a blue tank top, with a navy blue cardigan and a denim jacket, together with and a pair of ballet slippers, Bella felt a little better as she blow-dried her hair and made her way downstairs.

April was turning out to be quite warm and most of the snow had melted, but that left the ground muddy and although Edward had tried to convince Bella to wear jeans, she just knew that she would be judged by the other people in church if she didn't at least try to blend in.

Edward had woken up earlier and had taken Roscoe for a morning run. When he got back he showered and dressed in dark jeans, a black T-shirt with a white button down that he left open and his favorite Doc Martins.

He could see that Bella's nerves were stretched so taught that she was going to fly off the handle at any minute. He had never seen her so skittish before. Even Roscoe had picked up on her anxiety and he hadn't left her side for a moment and she kept her hand buried in the thick fur at his neck.

Edward watched her as he ate his own toast, eggs and coffee although he had made her a cup of tea because he didn't think that she needed any further jolt to her system.

They finished eating and went upstairs to brush their teeth. Edward looked over at Bella in the mirror.

Instead of looking at him, Bella turned away and wiped her mouth before she gave him a quick, strained smile, "Let's go!"

Her voice was high and strained and she turned without waiting for an answer and bolted down stairs and out to the car.

Edward gave a sigh and followed.

The drive to the stone church was tense and after a couple of attempts to talk, Edward gave up.

They found a parking space and climbed out of the car. People were walking to the church and most of them called a greeting to the couple or waved cheerfully, wishing them a 'Happy Easter'.

Edward took Bella's ice-cold hand in his and led her across the car park. Before they got too close Bella stopped walking and she gripped Edward's hand with both of hers.

"Edward…" she whispered. He turned around and saw how pale she was. A sheen of perspiration coated her top lip as her eyes darted around her wildly.

"Are you ready, Love?"

Bella gulped as her wide frightened eyes met his, "I'm scared." She said.

Edward turned and put his hands on her shoulders. He could feel her trembling under his hands and he rubbed his thumbs over her skin to sooth her.

"Nothing is going to happen to you in there, Bella. This is just a building with four walls and a roof where families and friends get together to worship. I promise you, I promise," he emphasized the last part, "We can leave whenever you want to. We will sit at the back and we can leave as soon as you like."

After a moment Bella nodded and Edward pulled her into his arms, ignoring the few curious looks from passersby.

"You are safe, Isabella. Nothing is going to harm you, my love." He whispered into her ear before he kissed her damp temple.

Bella finally calmed down and Edward was overjoyed when he spotted his family waiting for them.

"My Belle! Come on, we's gonna get Easter eggs!" Bella gave a little laugh as Brady broke away from Jasper and raced over to her.

"We can't be late, Belle, they gonna run out! The Easter Bunny was here!" Brady clutched Bella's free hand and he tugged her forward.

No one made a fuss of Bella but they all greeted on another with their customary hug. Edward mouthed his thanks to Carlisle over Bella's head.

He had phoned his father just after six that morning and had asked him to warn everyone that Bella had decided to join them. He begged Carlisle to make sure that no one made a fuss of her as she was terrified as it was and becoming the focal point would just send her running for cover.

When Edward saw that his family had secured the very last row of the church, he was overwhelmed with love for them. He looked at Esme in confusion as she walked to the end of the row but she just smiled serenely at them, as if they had always sat there and not the second row from the front of the church as long as Edward could remember.

Edward wondered just what his parents had arranged that morning when he saw that 'their' row had been filled by Angie, Ben and their kids, Makenna and Alistair; Jess, Mike and their brood and a few other friends.

Bella was clutching Edward's hand as she took the seat right next to the door. All she could see in front of her was the stage. She had been dreading seeing a crucifix. The inside of the church was nothing like she expected. From the stone walls and the stained glass windows, it had seemed like a traditional church but inside it was light and airy. There was no alter, but rather a stage with a drum kit and several pieces of musical equipment, including a keyboard. The stained glass windows in the front of the church were small but the large windows on the side of the church boasted bright and modern stained glass pictures. Bella began to calm down as she took in her surroundings. Soft rock music was playing through the speakers. No one was whispering, but rather the sound of children's excited voices and laughter carried through the church.

Finally some young people walked up onto the stage, including Bree and Riley. Bella turned to Edward in shock, "What's she doing up there?" Bella whispered frantically.

Edward's mouth lifted up in a sexy grin, "Well she is part of the 'youth' band. There are a few of them and Jas, Em and I play here. We rotate so that everyone that wants to, gets a chance to play." He explained.

Bella stared at him for a moment, "Oh. Okay – I never knew that. What instruments do you all play?"

Edward nodded to where Bree was making herself comfortable behind the keyboards as she laughed and joked with the other band members. Riley was standing in front of a microphone with an electric guitar in his hands. Bella was surprised to see that most people were dressed rather informally in jeans, shorts and T-shirts.

"Well, as you can see Bree and I play keyboards, but I also play guitar. Jasper plays base and Emmett plays the drums."

Just then the band began to play a fast, modern tune and Bella looked around in panic as everyone rose to their feet and several people began to dance and clap.

Edward held her hand firmly and smiled at her as he stood up. Bella followed and saw the words of the song on a large screen in the front.

After singing a couple of songs, a giant Bunny led a group of teenagers up and down the aisles handing out Easter eggs amid cheers from the children and laughter from the adults.

Pastor Craig took to the stage and he greeted everyone cheerfully wishing them a happy Easter. He asked the children to head over to the building behind the church for 'children's church' and Bella couldn't help grinning as the Easter Bunny led the children from the youngest of about four to the older teenagers who rolled their eyes out of a side door.

Craig stared out at the packed hall and he saw a few new faces, one of whom made his heart sing with thanks.

Bella Swan sat in the back of the church with the rest of the Cullen family. Her pale face stared at him with something akin to terror.

Craig knew from his past history with Bella that she was vehemently against coming to church and she had told him on more than one occasion that if he didn't want lightning in his church, then he should not invite her. Craig and Betty had spent many hours praying for the young woman.

He would usually invite guests or newcomers to put up their hands so that they could receive a special welcome, but after receiving Carlisle Cullen's phone call earlier, he had decided to just give a general welcome.

Bella relaxed after she saw Craig only acknowledge her presence with a small nod of his head and a smile.

She listened as Craig began to speak and instead of being afraid or bored, Bella listened with rapt attention.

She was surprised when the service ended a short while later – she had heard that church services could last for hours.

Bella was still holding Edward's hand as they walked down the steps into the sunshine, but now she was smiling at him.

"I guess that you think that I was pretty darn stupid, hey?" She asked.

Edward shook his head and bent down to kiss her quickly, "I don't think that you are stupid, sweetheart. It's easy to be afraid of something if you have had a bad experience."

Bella dropped his hand and unmindful of people around them she put her arms around his waist hand hugged him.

Edward reciprocated and kissed the top of her head.

Bella looked up into his bright green eyes, "I love you so much, Edward."

She watched as Edward's eyes darkened and her cheeks turned a little pink, "I have never loved you more, Isabella. You can't scare me away, baby, I'm not going anywhere."

Bella sighed and felt the last of the tension flow out of her.

As soon as they arrived at the Cullen's home, Bella excused herself and ran up to her apartment to change into more comfortable clothes.

She rolled her eyes when Edward gave her a teasing grin and an "I told you so!"

Lunch was a grand affair of various roast meats, vegetables and for desert there was cobbler and ice-cream.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent just hanging out together and Bella spent quite a bit of time with Rosalie, Bree and Alice as they cleaned up the kitchen afterwards.

"Hey Bells, do you know that Em, Jas, Ed and I are going camping before school begins again?" Bree said as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Bella smiled at her, "Edward is excited about spending time with you. You guys are going to have such fun!"

Her eyes met Rosalie's and she could see that Rose was aware of the fact that she had initiated the outing.

"Alice and I are taking the kids camping out back in the woods out back, so maybe you'd like to join us Bells?" Rosalie said.

Bella shrugged, "I don't know anything about living in the wild, Rose. I mean if we are sleeping in our cars then it's not problem, but the wild? I don't know…"

Alice laughed, "Jeez Bella, you make it sound as if we will be eating raw fish and ripping off pieces of meat with our bare hands! We have tents you know – and Carlisle made a campsite of sorts where there is an outdoor shower, enclosed of course," she said as Bella's eyes widened.

"And there is a fire pit as well as a toilet and washbasin – come on, it will be fun – promise!" Rosalie finished off.

Bella narrowed her eyes at them, "Do you two know how to pitch a tent? I am not sleeping in the open."

Alice clapped and hugged Bella, "We are going to have such fun! Oh this is going to be great!"

Bella chuckled but she was warmed by the fact that she was making plans that involved the future.

=====HS=====

Soon the weekend was over and once again, Bella was up to her elbows in books, as she studied and then took her final exams.

She hadn't been home in almost a month and although Edward had made the trip up on a couple of occasions, mainly to make sure that she ate and slept, Bella was running on pure adrenalin by the time that she wrote her final exam.

She walked outside and lifted her face towards the warm sun. Summer was well on its way to Vermont and that just added to the feeling of wellbeing that spread throughout Bella's body.

With a happy sigh she made her way to the boarding house. Her bed had been stripped bare and all of the belongings that she was going to store had been put in a trunk in Mrs. B's store room. Bella would be back for ten days at the end of July for the three summer school courses that she had registered for, and Mrs. B rented her rooms out during summer to the numerous hikers, grad students that were working on a summer program and other visitors to the area.

Her friend Dash, who was an Art major, who lived down the hall helped Bella to load up her small car and Mrs. B hugged her goodbye on the doorstep.

"You have a wonderful summer, Bella dear. Don't go working too hard – you just take a break and have some fun with that wonderfully handsome young man of yours." She said as she patted her grey hair.

Bella laughed, "You know Mrs. B; I would be worried about you with 'my young man' if you weren't getting all cozy with Mr. Whitcomb down the road!"

Mrs. B blushed and she waved Bella away, "You go on now and drive safely."

Bella rolled both of her windows down as she cranked her radio up. She felt light and carefree for the first time in months, she didn't have any writing assignments, papers or other homework due, there was not a thing that she had to do except to get home and spend the summer with Edward.

She let out a laugh, life was looking great.

*** To my knowledge (and my research) there is no such restaurant in or near Johnson, Vermont.**

**A/N: Summer is stretching in front of them. I wonder what it will bring. Bella and Edward are growing as a couple and there is going to be a time jump in the next chapter which will see them visiting Megan and Brandon before they fly to Phoenix for the Independence Day Honor day for her father – there will be some angst, but not too much – Bella is a much deeper character than what I first wrote for her and she is teaching me a few things! Special thanks to my wonder Fiorella who is my sanity.**

**p.s. Hope Springs has been nominated for a Wordsworth Award in the category of Overall Story. There are so many wonderful stories that have been nominated – please go and show your support.**

**Love till next time,**

**Michele/justginger/plu**


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 22-**_

_**Bella rolled both of her windows down as she cranked her radio up. She felt light and carefree for the first time in months – she didn't have any writing assignments, papers or other homework due – there was not a thing that she had to do except to get home and spend the summer with Edward.**_

_**She let out a laugh, life was looking great.**_

**CHAPTER 23 – SUMMER TIME **

Bella smiled as Makenna virtually pushed the last client out of the door of Esme's store. Bella had been home for three weeks.

"Mack! You almost gave Miss Abernathy whiplash; what is wrong with you?" Bella laughed as Makenna quickly put the 'closed' sign in the window and locked the front door.

Even though Bella no longer needed a job and Alice and Esme had enough help in the stores, Bella still worked two days a week to make sure that the inventory and stock was up to date. It had been a wonderful summer so far and Bella couldn't have asked for a better summer holiday if she tried.

Bella's days were filled with working on the farm sometimes or going down to the local swimming hole with Bree, Bethany and a group of other young people. There were impromptu pool parties at Esme and Carlisle's house or at another family member's house. There were cook-outs and clambakes; barbeques and parties and on any night of the week, music could be heard playing somewhere.

Edward and Bella were flying out to Santa Barbara in a couple of day's time because Edward had volunteered for a week so that Eli Brown could take his family on vacation. Summer was a busy time at Living Hope, where unfortunately there were so many teenagers and young adults that seemed to finally admit that they had a problem and whose parents sent them to get straightened up.

Bella was looking forward to seeing Megan and Brandon again as she had really enjoyed their company over Easter. She was also excited to see the place that held a large part of Edward's heart. She knew that if he ever decided to relocate – it would only be for the Living Hope rehab center.

Makenna brought Bella back to the present when she shouted to Alice that they were ready to leave. Bella frowned, and she wondered if Makenna's strange behavior had anything to do with the fact that it was her birthday.

Edward had taken Bella out to dinner the night before and afterwards, he had convinced her to spend the night at his house. Bella had woken up to warm kisses on her stomach and the delightful rasp of Edward's morning whiskers and she declared it the best birthday – ever.

Bella's birthday had always been a 'non-event' and it was just one more painful reminder that she was alone. At the children's home there house-mother would sometimes bake a small cake, but only for the small children. Bella had not had a birthday celebration since she was six-year-old and so when Edward asked her what she wanted to eat for dinner, Bella had not thought anything of it when he had readily agreed to her suggestion of southern fried chicken, with some fresh crispy bread rolls from Sue Black's bakery and a variety of side dishes from the fresh produce that was always in abundance either in her pantry or straight out of the garden.

"Well, Miss Swan, a few of the girls want to take you out for a quick drink to celebrate your birthday – is that okay with you?" Makenna asked with her hands on her hips as she gave Bella her famous 'stink eye'.

Bella laughed, "Did you clear that with Alistair? You know that he will only allow me a cider, not that I want anything stronger, and he insists that I drink it straight out of the bottle, hell I'm not even allowed to put the bottle down until it's finished!"

Alice walked through the adjoining door and grinned a she heard Bella's last comment, "Bells, we can't help it that you seem to be an absolute attraction for trouble and danger! Sweetie you walk down the street and my Jazzy puts the fire brigade and ambulance on high alert!"

Bella glared as Alice and Makenna fell about snorting and laughing. Bella tried to fight the laughter but she eventually gave up and joined in.

"I can't help that things seem to happen to me! That spider was enormous Alice! And it could have _killed_ one of your children!" she said with a huff, "I know what I saw, but whatever the fuck that was last week, it was not supposed to be there! How was I to know that I was going to knock it down?" she said indignantly.

Makenna clutched her stomach, "Bella, I still want to know what the hell you were doing? You were supposed to be playing lawn tennis!"

Alice wiped the tears of laughter off her face as Bella glared at her, "Jasper said that when he received the nine-one-one call Bella told him that there were 'giant tarantula-like spiders after them' so of course he panicked and he and Eric raced to the house. When he got to Mom's, Bella and all the children standing in a bath of cold water with the door locked!"

Looking back on the incident, Bella found it funny, but at the time, she had panicked.

"Hey, bitchface, I am a city kid, what the fuck do I know, this is like the Wild West or East or some shit!" Bella said with a shiver of revulsion.

They locked up the stores and walked to the pub, "But Bella, why were you all standing in a tub of cold water?" Makenna asked curiously.

Bella looked at her and shrugged, "I don't think that spiders can swim…" she said quietly.

Makenna nodded so that she didn't laugh in Bella's face – "And you locked the door because…?"

Bella muttered something under her breath and glared at Alice who was howling with laughter, "You may as well tell her, you little traitor!" Bella growled playfully as she walked into the pub ahead of them.

Alice grinned, "She told Jasper that she thought it was chasing them and she thought that she would lock it 'just in case'. The 'giant spider turned out to be a tree frog that she had hit with her terrible aim. Our Bella isn't very sporty."

Alastair had reserved an outside table for the girls and Bella blushed with pleasure when Emily, Angela, Nessie, Lauren, Jessica and Rosalie were waiting for her outside in the back garden.

As predicted, Bella was given the option of cider, water or a soft drink. She had not overindulged again after the weekend in Stowe when she had vowed that she was never going to get that out of control again. She hadn't enjoyed the feeling and she had hated the aftermath. She was happy to sip an occasional small glass of wine, as long as it was diluted with lots of ice, but she vowed to stay away from spirits and liqueurs.

Bella was enjoying the company when she received a message from Edward, asking her when she was heading home. She explained to everyone that she was cooking dinner at her apartment and she said good bye as she headed home.

Edward's car was parked in the driveway, but Bella could see that the main house looked deserted and she felt a twinge of disappointment.

She had witnessed what a fuss the Cullen's made over each other's birthdays, with cake and candles, special dinners and desserts that were especially chosen by the birthday person as well as an activity. Bella knew that she only had herself to blame – again. The closer that it got to her birthday, the more violent her threats had become if anyone mentioned her birthday.

The truth was that Bella would have loved a birthday celebration but she had no idea how to ask for one and she was embarrassed to admit that she did want to celebrate after all the time that she had spent denying that very fact.

With a last look at the dark main house, Bella walked up the stairs to her apartment. She smiled when she saw Edward standing at the counter chopping and slicing vegetables.

"Hey baby." She said.

Edward looked up with a grin as Roscoe barked to be let outside. Bella warned Roscoe not to bring any creature's home.

Edward chuckled and walked over to her to kiss her upturned mouth.

"Hello Beautiful Bella. Did you have a good day?"

They chattered for a few moments before Edward urged Bella to shower and change into something comfortable.

Afterwards she joined him on the sofa, where she saw him putting his phone into the pocket of his jeans and she snuggled up against his side. Edward turned towards her and ran his hands up her spine, "You look beautiful." He said and Bella rolled her eyes, "Cut off jeans and a tank? Well thank you in any case Babe."

"Would you like to go for a walk before dinner? Unless you are hungry?" Edward asked as he kissed her cheek. Bella hummed and arched her neck to give him better access. Edward wasted no time in dipping his head and sucking gently on the sensitive part of her neck. Bella's head fell back against the back of the sofa and her hands fisted at the back of Edward's head, holding him in place.

With a low growl, Edward lifted himself away. "If we are not careful, we will be spending your birthday in bed" he said and Bella giggled.

"Now that would be a birthday celebration!"

Edward laughed and sat up, "Come on, Miss Perv, let's go."

Bella looked up at Edward from under her lashes as she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. "Are you sure?"

"I am so tempted to just say, 'fuck it' and carry you to bed right now!" Edward said but when he saw the glint of triumph in Bella's eyes he shook his head, "You are a temptress, Miss Swan, now let's go before I spank you!"

Bella stuck her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout, "Don't tease me!"

He took her hand and laughingly drew her outside and down the stairs.

Bella smiled when Edward cut across his parents back lawn towards the path that led to the meadow.

"Why are you smiling?" Edward asked to cover his nervousness.

Bella paused to look up into the tall trees overhead, "I love this pathway. It always reminds me of that first Sunday that you took me for a walk. That was the day that I realized that I was falling for you." Bella said.

Edward paused as he put his hands onto Bella's hips and pulled her against him, "I fell hard and fast, love. I was worried about getting carpel tunnel with the amount of jacking off that I was doing whenever you were around!"

Bella elbowed Edward in the ribs, "You are such a pervert, Doctor Cullen!" Bella said playfully. They chatted about their day as they walked through the woods. Edward stopped from time to time to kiss her and she was smiling just as they stepping into the meadow.

For a moment everything looked the same in the twilight, but then suddenly hundreds of colored lights lit up the meadow and Bella saw long wooden table with platters of food laid spread out down the table that Bella was sure could seat at least thirty people.

Bella gasped as she noticed the small crowd of people standing together and she jumped as they shouted out, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA!"

It seemed that everyone she knew was there. Bella had to wipe few tears away when she saw Pat from the diner in Joplin smiling at her and giving her a little wave.

Edward kept an arm around her as Billy stepped forward and everyone grew quiet.

"Happy birthday, Bella. Sometimes it's hard to believe that you only came to us ten short months ago. Every person here agrees that you have changed their lives for the better and we wanted to show you just how much we love you and how much you are right where you belong… with us, here in Hope Springs!"

Bella wiped her eyes as she looked around and saw all of the friends that she had made. She knew that she would never be able to talk for long so she nodded at her friends and family and they loved her comment before she stepped down from the boulder, which had become their makeshift stage.

As Bella looked around, she noticed little things that had been added to the décor. For instance, although the table had not been laid out for a children's party; there were balloons tied and tethered to the middle of each table leg, there were also party hats and streamers.

"Um, thanks and err, I still think that you people are freaking weird, except now, I guess that I'm just like all of you!" She said as she rolled her eyes.

Everyone cheered and before Bella could protest she was being passed around from one group to another.

Esme explained the rather eclectic décor when she and Carlisle hugged her. "We know that you missed out on many birthday parties and so we decided to combine a few things from when you were younger until now and that is why Carlisle and I wanted to give you this," She handed Bella a small square box, "Each one of our children receive this on their sixteenth birthday and Alice and Rosalie got theirs when they married the boys. We want you to know that our home is yours, Sweetheart, forever and you can always come home if you need to."

Bella's fingers shook as she untied the purple ribbon and lifted the lid of the box. Inside were two keys and Bella looked up as she lifted the keys that were on a silver key ring that had 'Isabella' inscribed onto it.

"Thanks?" she said as she looked from Esme to Carlisle.

Carlisle chuckled, "We should have explained it better; that is the key to the front door and the back door of the main house. It's kind of symbolic as well as practical, because we want you to know that our home is yours."

Bella could not stop the tears as she almost threw herself in the couple's arms, whispering, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Over and over and they hugged her and gave each other watery smiles over her bend head.

Edward stood on the side with Emmett as they stared at their parents, "They made her cry, didn't they?" Emmett said.

Edward nodded, "Yeah, they did the sweet sixteen 'key handover'."

Emmett smiled and put an arm around his brother, "That's cool. She's one of us in any case, you know?"

Edward nodded, but his smile changed to a scowl when Emmett added with a low growl, "If you fuck up or hurt her, you know that we are going to kill you and bury your body and that you will never be found or missed, don't you?"

"Fuck off, Em. I'm going to marry that girl and spend the rest of my life making lots of babies!" Edward retorted.

Jacob Black walked up at that moment, "Whoa there '_Cockmeister_', don't you have to let the 'child' finish school, before you have her tied to the kitchen sink, with a legion of rug rats running around?"

Emmett thought his comment was hilarious and before long, Alistair, Jasper, Ben and Eric had joined in the teasing.

Edward flipped them off and made his way over to talk to Billy, Pat and James.

From time to time she would catch a look or a smile from Edward. Emily rang the dinner bell and everyone found a seat and those that couldn't; sat on the sweet grass. Bella glared at Edward as platter after platter of southern fried chicken was passed around, together with corn that had been grilled on the barbeque, the creamiest mashed potatoes and an array of summer salads that had Bella's mouth watering.

She narrowed her eyes as she playfully punched his arm, "What would you have done if I'd said that I wanted Chinese or Lasagna for supper?"

Edward put his hand on her thigh and rubbed gently, "No problem; we had Mr. Chow from _Tong Loki_ on standby and Mama would have stolen your recipe for Lasagna! This was always going to be about you, Baby. This is your day and we are all grateful that you are here – me especially!" he said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Bella giggled and she leaned closer, pulling his head down so that her lips brushed his ear, "Remind me to give you a very special 'thank you' later."

Edward's hand tightened on her leg and he let out a groan, "You're going to be the death of me, Swan!"

Bella laughed with delight and turned to begin a conversation with Pat.

Hours later, the last of the mess had been cleaned up. Bella was amazed to see a few trucks backed up from a dirt road that she had not known was there. They were loaded with trestle tables, chairs, leftovers and lights. The family wished her and all at once it was only she and Edward left in the meadow that didn't look as if it had hosted a party just a little while before.

Esme had left a padded comforter on the large rock as they left and she had winked at Edward as she kissed his cheek. Edward felt his ears grow hot – yeah his mother was no fool. She knew _exactly_ what his plans were for the rest of the evening!

Edward led Bella over to the double swing and they sat down together. Edward kept an arm around her while he gently pushed them back and forwards with his feet. Bella rested her head on his shoulder and let out a contented sigh.

"Did you have a good time, Sweetheart?" he asked.

Bella nodded, "It was one of the best days of my life." She said quietly.

"Only one of them?" he questioned with a teasing smile.

Bella heard his amusement and nodded again, "Yep; all of the best days that I can remember involve you! You must know that."

Edward nudged her, "Well which one was the very best up till now?"

Bella looked up at him in the darkness, "The day I knew that I would love you forever. It was the most terrifying and exhilarating day of my life. I knew that I would never be the same again."

Edward stopped the swing and put his hand out to cup her cheek, "I love you, Bella. Will you let me love you? Here? Now? I need you."

All amusement faded as Bella became aware of how aroused she felt, but this was more than just sex. She felt as if she and Edward were melting into one person. She wanted to be his. She wanted to give herself to him.

Without saying a word, Bella stood up and pulled her top and bra off. Her pale breasts trembled in the moonlight and Edward's breath caught in his throat.

Bella reached down and unzipped her cut off jeans and she quickly shimmied out of her panties and her shorts, before she stepped free of her clothes and she stood naked and proud in the night.

She reached out her hands to Edward, "Make me yours again, Edward."

The angles and plains of Edward's face in the moonlight fascinated Bella. His eyes looked black and his skin seemed pale, almost ethereal and she watched as his nostrils flared.

When he stood up abruptly, Bella took a startled step backwards but Edward's hand shot out and he pulled her roughly against him, "Too late, Isabella, you have already offered yourself to me." His voice was soft and husky but there was an edge to it.

Bella gasped as he captured her mouth with a hard kiss and he sucked her breath from her. His tongue was demanding and Bella surrendered without a fight.

She was his! She had given herself to him willingly and she wanted him to take her as he lost control.

"Fuck me hard, Edward." She purred as he released her mouth only to begin to lick and suck at her neck and shoulders.

A hand snaked up her torso, and Edward twisted Bella's nipple gently at first and then more roughly.

"You like this don't you my dirty little birthday girl? Hmm, are you getting wet for me?" Bella's legs opened of their own accord and Edward chuckled darkly as his other hand shifted from her hip to the soft strip of fur at the apex of her thighs.

Bella grew impatient of his teasing as she tried to buck her hips towards his hand so that she could find friction where she needed it most but Edward keep moving his hand so that only the very tip of his middle finger brushed against the needy tip of her clit that had swollen with need.

"Fuck, Edward… please!" Bella growled as she dug her short nails into his shoulders.

Edward hissed at the sharp pain and he responded by biting into Bella's neck causing her to cry out. Edward got a fright and he thought that he had hurt her but what he saw in Bella's eyes wasn't pain or fear – it was pure unbridled lust.

To be sure he moved his hand so that he was cupping her pussy when he felt her warm juices dripping out of her – _fuck!_ Edward knew that he was going to lose control very quickly if he didn't put some distance between them.

His hands let go of her abruptly and she stumbled back slightly as he almost ripped his shirt off before he tore off his jeans. Bella's eyes widened as Edward stalked towards her. She bit her lip as his hand reached down to slowly pump his hard dick. Bella may have whimpered at the sight of his thumb brushing the tip of his cock.

"You are in a kinky mood tonight, Love. You want it rough?" Although his voice was low, Bella could hear the hard edge in it and she licked her lips and nodded.

"Not good enough, Baby, I need you to say the words. I don't want there to be any misunderstandings."

Edward stopped about two feet from where she stood. Bella looked behind her and saw the blanket that Esme had left and she quickly turned and spread the blanket amongst the grass and wild flowers before she lay down.

Bella could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she felt her hair spread out around her shoulders. She lifted her arms above her head and then she purposefully put her feet flat on the blanket before she let her knees drop to either side, leaving her more exposed than she had ever been.

"Take me. Make me yours. Fuck me. Make love to me. I am yours Edward."

Edward thought that his heart would stop beating as he stared at Bella as she laid spread out on the blanket in the moonshine. He had never seen anyone more breathtakingly beautiful than Bella.

Suddenly he couldn't wait and in one swift movement, he dropped to his knees.

"I am going to fuck you hard tonight. Turn over."

Bella almost air pumped as she turned over quickly. A sharp slap to her ass had her squeaking as she rose onto her hands and knees. She looked behind her and smirked as she saw Edward's eyes glued to her ass and labia.

Bella deliberately opened her legs and bent forward so that her ass and pussy was well and truly on display and she gave a little shake of her tail.

Edward's sharp intake of breath was all she heard before she felt one large hand clamp down on her hip, while the other gripped her shoulder.

"You fucking tease…" Edward growl before Bella felt him sink deep inside her.

Bella let her head drop forward and she pressed her face into the blanket and covered her mouth with her hand so that she could scream at the mind-blowing sensation of Edward's cock, plunging thick and hard inside her, as her walls fluttered like butterfly wings.

Edward gritted his teeth at the sensation almost became too much to bare, he felt her beneath him, all around him. His cock grew even harder as he changed his pace and slowed down, going deep all the way inside her, and then he would withdraw almost all the way out so that his piercing teased her entrance, giving her short teasing strokes, teasing until he reared back and drove inside her again, filling her.

Bella arched her back, "Fuck! That's so deep! Again, Edward!"

Edward reached forward and curled his body over hers as his hand found her nipple and he began to pull and pinch the swollen tip as he ground inside her.

"Baby, I'm so fucking deep inside you! You are so wet. Can you feel me fucking you? You belong to me! Only to me."

"Always, Edward. I'm only yours!"

Bella could feel her climax drawing closer as once again Edward pulled back and withdrew from her completely.

He turned her over and hitched one of her legs over his arm before he pushed inside her again.

"I want you to cum for me, Bella. Cum for me!" he ordered as he pressed fingers against her clit and began to rub it.

Bella arched up and let out a long keening noise as she felt herself fall apart beneath him.

Edward braced his body on his aching arms as he began to pump deep into her heat.

With a shout of joy he came hard and fast. It seemed to last forever until he felt the strength leave him and he quickly rolled to the side so that he didn't crush her small body beneath his.

"Wow" he muttered when he could find the energy.

Bella giggled and Edward tuned to look at her.

"What?"

"I don't think that my legs are going to work after that." She said and she turned and curled herself against his side with a slight shiver.

Edward gathered her close and he pulled on end of the blanket over them, "Are you cold, love?"

"A little, but I don't want to leave just yet." She said as she stifled a yawn.

Edward kissed the side of her face, "Hmm, okay, we can lie here for a little longer. Are you excited to leave for Santa Barbara?"

Bella nodded hesitantly, "Yeah, I guess, but I'm a little nervous. I've never flown before."

Edward kept running his fingers through her hair as he smiled, "Flying is cool, I promise. It's safer to fly than to drive all of that way and Mom and Dad will cut off my nuts if I even suggested that we take the bike."

"Why?"

Edward chuckled, "Because now they now have two daughters and not one and they are twice as protective. You need to just accept it Sweetheart; you are one of us now and you are going to have them fussing over you whether you like it or not."

Bella pouted; she loved going out with Edward on his bike. Over the past few weeks they had done a few trips and Bella loved the feeling of the wind flying past them. She especially loved how sexy Edward looked in his faded and broken Levi's along with his old band tees, leather jacket, his aviator glasses and his leather gloves.

_Carlisle and Esme were not happy when Edward bought Bella a bikers jacket and a pair of gloves and he had been given a lecture in Carlisle's home office that would have been funny had he not felt like a naughty child again as he stood on the faded Persian rug in front of the huge mahogany desk as Carlisle talked to him in a stern voice._

"_I expect you to take good care of Bella when she is on your bike, Edward. Your mother and I can't do anything about the fact that you have that bike, but make sure that Bella is your first and only priority when you are out with her."_

_Edward felt like rolling his eyes, but stopped himself as Carlisle gave him a stern, 'don't fuck with me' look, and so he just promised that he would be careful so that he could escape._

Carlisle had officially gone into retirement at the beginning of May as he had promised, but he had been spending time in the medical practice to ease Ned into the permanent position. Carlisle insisted that Edward take over the main office that he had used for the past thirty-five years. Edward had moved in to the largest office, while Ned had taken over Edward's office. The third office was going to be kept for locums. Carlisle would still stay on as a shareholder in the business with Ned having options to buying a percentage of the business over time.

Ned had found a small cottage to rent on the edge of town and he seemed to have settled into local life happily.

"Hey, did I tell you that Jasper saw Ned out to dinner with June Morrow at _'Vita's'_ the other night." Edward said as Bella snuggled closer against him.

Bella's eyes shot open and she barked out a laugh, "Oh wow! Ned and June! I can't wait until they come over for Sunday lunch."

Edward tweaked her nose, "You are so bad! You are getting cold, come on, let's go home."

They dressed quickly and made their way back to the house. Even though there were lights on downstairs, Edward and Bella drove back to his house.

Once there, they shared a shower and they fell into bed. All of Bella's gifts had been left at the main house and Bella was almost beside herself the next morning when they joined the rest of the family for breakfast before she opened up the pile of brightly colored packages.

Bella had been given a set of luggage by the Cullen's that included a carry-on bag, a medium sized case and a large case. The Black's had gifted her gift card for iTunes. Billy and Sue gave her a camera for her to document their holiday, while Jacob and Nessie gave her two pewter picture frames. Alice and Rosalie had bought her several outfits to take on holiday as well as an outfit to wear to the memorial service for her father.

Alice, Rosalie and Esme had also decided to treat Bella to a day of pampering the day before she and Edward were due to leave.

After breakfast the women including Bree headed out to the _Avanyu Spa_ at the Equinox Hotel in Manchester, while the men had volunteered to look after the children. 

Bella enjoyed her day of pampering. She was treated to wax hair removal under her arms, her legs and a bikini wax, after which they were given Maple Sugar exfoliating massages, before they were rinsed off and they were given manicures and pedicures.

Bree had spent the morning swimming in the indoor pool, but Esme had allowed her to join them to have her toe and finger nails buffed and painted with a pretty 'watermelon' pink.

After a late lunch, everyone had their hair trimmed and styled.

Bella could not believe how long her hair had grown in the past year. All traces of the ugly black dye gone and the stylist gave Bella a 'wash and wear' cut so that she wouldn't have to worry about blow drying it while they were away. Her hair was a rich, lusty brown that had natural steaks of mahogany that the stylist enhanced with lowlights.

When they left, Esme drove Carlisle's Mercedes to _La Bella Vita_, where the men and the children were waiting for them.

Edward could not wait to see her, and when Bella walked into the restaurant, he jumped up and hurried over to her. "You look good enough to eat, Love." He breathed as he wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to kiss her lips.

Bella smiled as she blushed, "Thank you. Did you have a good day with your brothers and the kids?"

Edward nodded, and Bella was amused to see the pout on his handsome lips, "Yeah, it was fun, but I missed you like fucking crazy."

"Aaw, poor baby, come on. I bet you are hungry, aren't you?" She said as she stifled a giggle and led him back to the table.

She met Esme's amused gaze as Carlisle fussed over his wife.

It seemed that the Cullen men didn't take to well to being away from their women and they really appreciated them when they got home. Bella tucked that into her memory for another time.

=====HS=====

Bella and Edward drove to Burlington early the next morning to catch their flight to Los Angeles.

Bella's eyes were as big as saucers as they were ushered onto the aircraft. Edward only flew first class because there was no way that he could tuck his long legs into Coach.

He enjoyed watching Bella as she clutched his hand tightly and looked around her.

The flight attendant had been flirting with him ever since she had directed them to the seats. She had bent over extra low, exposing the top of her breasts as she asked him in a breathy voice if there was anything else that she could do for him, 'er, them.'

Edward had dismissed her with a shake of his head. Bella was reading the safety procedures with rapt intent and the attendant met Edward's amused glance as she sashayed away and Edward was sure that she wiggled her ass as she put the oxygen mask away in the overhead locker.

Bella looked up from her reading when she heard Edward's grunt of impatience and she glared at the attendant before she turned to look at Edward, "Was she flirting with you?"

Edward shrugged but Bella could see by the stiff set of his shoulders that he felt uncomfortable and she was surprised by the white hot anger that cruised through her body at the thought of the peroxide blonde trying to chat Edward up.

Bella patted his leg, "Don't worry, baby, I will take care of her if she tries to put her skanky moves on you."

Edward smiled crookedly as he cupped her cheek and drew her closer so that he could kiss her parted lips, "That's my little tiger kitten."

Bella stared out of the window as the plane took off and Edward couldn't stop staring at her. Her eyes were shining brightly and she was breathing fast as the plane arched upwards. Edward kept her hand firmly between his.

Bella felt tears prick at the back of her eyes as she stared outside. Who would ever have thought that a year before, when she was scared and alone, newly pregnant and homeless, that she would be sitting in luxury, on an airplane, flying across the country with her boyfriend and soul mate?

"Love, are you okay?" She heard the love and concern in Edward's voice as he leaned over her. His sweet, minty breath teased her ear and a gentle finger tapped her chin.

Bella turned towards him and she gave him a watery smile, "I'm so much more than fine. I think that I just get a little scared or overwhelmed sometimes. I feel as if this is all a dream and I'm going to wake up and all of this, you, and your family will all be gone and I'll be alone again." She gave a soft laugh as she quickly dashed an errant tear off her cheek, "I'm being silly again." She said as her cheeks grew pink with embarrassment.

_God! The last thing that she wanted to do was to blubber in front of that – woman who hadn't taken her eyes of Edward since they had arrived! _

Edward leaned a little closer and Bella felt his feather light lips kissing her cheek, nose and forehead, "Aw, my darling, come here."

Suddenly the armrest between them had been moved and Edward had gathered her into his arms, "Love, please look at me." He coaxed.

Bella lifted her dark, wet lashes. She was in awe of the love and warmth that was emanating from his bright green eyes, "I promise you; this is no dream. I love you and I'm going to love you for a long time and I am going to spoil you rotten every chance that I get. One day, we are going to have children and I will spoil them as well and we are going to live our 'dream' for many years to come."

Bella nodded before she put her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer so that she could breathe his scent in.

"Is everything okay here?" A breathy voice interrupted them.

Bella stiffened and pulled back to stare up at the fake smile of the flight attendant, "Everything is just fine thank you. I was just telling my boyfriend, that we needed to wait until we join the mile high club and I think he is just a little upset." She said sweetly and the man sitting behind them bark out a laugh.

The attendant reddened and she walked away without looking back. Edward sat back and grinned at her, "You are so bad – I love it!"

Bella loved flying and spent much of the five hour flight alternating between staring out of the window and reading.

She nibbled at the airline breakfast with her nose scrunched up, "Why do they bother to feed people if this is what they dish out?" she asked as Edward chuckled.

"I will feed you as soon as we land, okay?"

Bella nodded with a huff.

Four hours later and several small packets of nuts crackers, the plane came to a stop. Bella's eyes were huge as she stared out at LAX and Los Angeles.

Edward kept her close as they disembarked, and Edward noticed with a smirk that the flight attendant was on the other side of the plane as they left.

After using the bathrooms quickly, and collecting their luggage, they made their way to the car rental offices and soon Edward was loading their bags into a silver Volvo CX90.

Bella leaned against the car and looked around, "So this is L.A. It doesn't look very different than Phoenix, except that Arizona is hotter than this and not so damn humid." She said as she pulled her short cotton dress away from her frame and twisted her hair up into a messy bun, securing it with the ever-present hair tie around her wrist.

Edward opened her door before getting in, "As soon as the air-con kicks in, it will be much better. Are you hungry?"

At that moment, Bella's stomach let out a loud rumble and they looked at each other before they burst out laughing.

"Well, I guess that answers that question."

Edward drove out of the city towards Santa Monica. They were not in a great hurry to get to Santa Barbara and after some deliberation; he had decided to take Bella to the coast.

Bella could hardly contain her excitement as they drove along the beach. Edward found a parking space and they walked a little way to a beach side restaurant.

After their meal, they walked along the beach for a while before climbing back into the car.

Megan was waiting for them when they arrived at Living Hope. It was almost five in the afternoon and Bella was more than ready to have a shower and wash the travel grime and sea salt off.

Megan greeted them with hugs and kisses and she immediately showed them to a guest suite that was self contained although it had access to the main house through the central courtyard.

Bella loved Megan and Brandon's home and the adjoining apartment was similarly furnished with large Spanish style pieces. The rooms were tiled in large white tiles and the walls were painted in cool shades of greens.

The bedroom held an oversized bed in dark wood with white coverings.

The wall of arched doors was covered by yards of soft white fabric that cut off the glare of the afternoon sun, but allowed the gentle breeze inside.

Bella unpacked and showered first, while Edward went to seek out Eli Brown, to go over the case files that he would need for the following week.

Megan had invited all of the staff members to a 'welcome dinner' that evening and Bella went to find her in the kitchen, where she was preparing various dishes.

Megan was in the kitchen with Eli's wife, Katy and Bella was soon being taught to make salsa, and the ground beef mixture that would go into the tacos.

Dinner was wonderful and that night as Bella lay curled up on Edward's chest she sighed happily as she thought about how welcoming everyone had been.

=====HS=====

The next two weeks passed quickly and Bella sighed wistfully as she packed the last of her clothes into her bag.

She had spent the days exploring the beach when Edward was working and when he was off duty; they would take the car and drive to different towns and sandy beaches. They had been shopping and sightseeing, sun tanning and relaxing and Bella couldn't believe how she had changed in appearance.

Gone was her pale skin and dark hair. Her skin was sun-kissed and golden brown and her hair had lightened considerably. There were natural streaks of golden brown and Bella had discovered that she had freckles across her nose.

She was dressed in a short blue skirt with a white 'gypsy' style blouse and white sandals. Her hair was pulled up into a high pony tail and she had all but given up wearing any sort of make up besides a lick of mascara and a smear of lip gloss.

"Ready, Love?" Edward asked as he walked into the room.

He was tanned even more than Bella as he spent most of his 'down time' between clinic hours, playing basket ball with the residents and more than once Bella had sat watching him play, although she denied that it was so that she could ogle his bare chest and low riding shorts.

He was wearing olive green shorts and a loose, light white button down with the sleeves rolled up.

Bella looked up and smiled, "All packed and ready to go." Her smile faltered when she thought of where they were headed.

"Yeah." She said reluctantly.

Edward put his arms around her waist, "It's going to be fine, Bella. Aren't you excited to meet Garrett and Peter and to find out more about Charlie?"

Bella shrugged, "I suppose so. But," Her eyes were large pools of anxiety, "what if they don't like me? What if," she bit her lip as her gaze faltered, "what if I'm a disappointment?"

Edward's hand settled onto her shoulders and he bent his knees so that they were almost the same height as he frowned at her, "Stop doubting yourself, Isabella. If these men can't see how amazing you are, then fuck them, okay? You have done nothing to be ashamed of – ever. Do you hear me?"

Bella nodded and Edward sighed as he straightened up, "Okay, love, let's get the bags to the car. Meg and Brandon are waiting to say goodbye."

Megan hugged Bella tightly as they stood at the car, "Promise me that you will phone and tell us that you have arrived safely okay? And promise that you won't worry too much and…"

Brandon laughed, "Meg, honey, they need to leave!" he rolled his eyes at Bella and Edward, "Go quickly, before she takes another breath!"

=====HS=====

Although Edward had the radio playing softly in the background, the atmosphere in the car grew tenser with each passing mile. Bella fidgeted, scowled and glared out of the window before she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep although Edward could see how stiff and taut her body was.

He reached out and gently put a hand on her thigh and began to rub lazy circles onto her warm skin.

Bella sighed and she felt herself relaxing slightly as she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and looked over at Edward.

"Where are we meeting Esme and Carlisle again?"

Edward knew that Bella was more than aware of their itinerary but he answered her patiently, knowing that she was very nervous about going back to Arizona.

"We have crossed over in Arizona and we are going check into the Arizona Biltmore Hotel straight away. Tomorrow you and I have a full day appointment at the Biltmore's in-house spa and then we have dinner with Charlie's friends. We are going to be relaxing for the next few days and then Mom and Dad will arrive in four days time. After that we have the service ceremony and the Independence Day barbeque."

Bella nodded and bit her lip as she stared out of the window, "Okay."

He hated that she sounded so small and lost and after a quick look in his rear view mirror, Edward pulled to the side of the road and put the car in park.

Bella looked at him with a frown on her face, "Is there something wrong?"

Edward pursed his lips as he looked at her, "I know that you are afraid and if you honestly don't want to do this, then we can drive straight to the airport. No one is going to judge you, Bella. You were fucked over by the very system that is supposed to protect you and no one knew."

Bella sighed, she was so confused! On the one hand, she wanted to meet Charlie's friend and to hear all about him. She wanted to get to know her father, even if he was long gone. On the other hand, Arizona didn't hold any good memories for her. She had only known hurt and neglect there and she didn't want to revisit any of that.

She knew that Edward would not make her mind up for her and that he would do whatever she wanted to do and that didn't make it any easier to make a final decision.

"If I go home, I may never know who Charlie Swan was and then I won't know why he died when he had a four year old daughter waiting for him at home. Then I won't ever understand why he chose to do his job rather than to come home to me." She said quietly.

Edward felt his eyes burn at the sadness in her voice, and he wanted to whisk her back to Hope Springs where she was safe and happy and her earlier life didn't hang over her, but instead he just kept his hand on her leg.

Bella searched the face that she loved so much for an indication of what Edward was thinking, but his face remained impassively affectionate and Bella growled playfully at him.

"You are a great card player aren't you?" she said and he grinned her favorite crooked smile.

"Well, I can't lie, I am pretty good. Now, are we going to see this giant sandpit or are we going home?"

Bella looked out of the window and for a moment she thought that she remembered something.

_A cool breeze blew as she reached down for the funny looking plants, but a deep voice stopped her, "No, Bells! Don't touch that, baby, look; there are giant thorns, see? Come on, come and help your old dad wash the cruiser!"_

"_Can I use the sponge Daddy?"…_

"Bella? Love, are you okay?" Edward's voice broke through her thoughts and suddenly Bella smiled; whatever happened, she needed to find out as much as she could about Charles Swan.

She looked at Edward before she suddenly reached across the center console and she kissed him, with a loud, wet sound, "Let's go, my Darling! Let's paint this sand pit red!" she said and she winked at him.

Edward's mouth dropped open and she grinned as she motioned to the road ahead, "Come on Edward, we don't have all day! I want to have an hour long shower with you, before you feed me so that I can have my wicked way with you later!"

The tires spun up dirt as Edward pulled away. Bella rolled down the window and the smell of the hot sand and dry heat was suddenly so familiar to her that she couldn't help but let out a loud laugh.

Edward knew that the rest of their stay would not be as carefree but he was going to make sure that Bella took one step at a time.

When they pulled into the drive of the hotel that Edward had booked them into, Bella's jaw dropped, "Shut the back door! Fuck, Edward, this is going to cost a fortune!" she exclaimed.

Edward just smiled, "Only the best for you, Love."

Bella snorted and she rolled her eyes as a man in a tuxedo opened her door as the car stopped, "Good Afternoon, Ma'am." He said. Only it came out like 'Muuuum' and Bella giggled as Edward smirked at her.

After checking in, they followed their bellman up to their room, which was one of the 'state rooms'. It comprised of an enormous master bedroom, a large sitting room / dining room, a large double bathroom, complete with his and hers massage tables and a small sauna and a private balcony that had its own hot tub, as well as a small el fresco dining table and chairs.

Edward suggested that they shower and change into fresh clothes before they went to one of the casual restaurants on the grounds.

Their shower turned out to take a little longer than they had originally planned because Bella couldn't keep her hands to herself and she laughingly insisted on 'making sure that Edward was properly soaped up'.

Edward dressed in light colored cargo pants and a T-shirt, while Bella put on a thin cotton sundress with a pair of thong sandals. She let her hair dry naturally before she pulled it up into a messy bun.

After a late lunch or early supper, they walked through the breathtaking grounds for a while. As they walked through the lobby, Edward turned to her and nodded to one of the hotel bars, "Would you like a drink?"

Bella nodded, "Just a soft drink, please. I'm so thirsty that I'm just going to guzzle it down."

Edward ordered a beer for himself and a non alcoholic cocktail for Bella that was served in a large vase like glass, with mango, peach and cherry slices in it as well as an umbrella and a 'swizzle' straw.

Bella stared at it for a moment, "I'm not sure whether to drink it or as it out on a date." She said with a grin.

Edward gave the barman a glare, "The only person that you are dating is me, young lady, and don't you forget it!"

Bella smiled as she moved off her bar stool to stand between Edward's legs. She looped her hands around his neck as she bit her bottom lip and looked up at him from under her lashes, "I am most happy to be the only woman in your life, Doctor Cullen, but I must say that I feel a little achy and I wondered if you would mind checking me over?"

The bartender burst out laughing as Edward swept Bella off her feet and almost ran with her to the elevator as she held onto him tightly. Several people looked up as the young couple raced by. They could not help but smile at the love emanating from them.

As the doors closed, Edward leaned down and growled in Bella's ear, "I hope that you like room service, because I am not letting you out of bed before tomorrow night!"

=====HS=====

Bella stared at herself in the mirror and wondered for the hundredth time if she looked okay.

A pair of hands clamped down on her shoulders and she looked startled as she met Edward's amused eyes in the full length mirror, "Baby, please stop pacing and talking to yourself! You look beautiful. Are you ready?"

Bella looked between them and a smile lit her face for the first time in hours, "We match."

Edward chuckled, "Well, look at that; we do, now no more stalling, Miss Swan." Edward reached forward and dropped a kiss on the side of her neck before pulling away quickly.

"We have to go now, or else we won't leave this room!"

Bella was wearing a pair of black wide legged trousers with a high waist and a dark silver halter neck top that Alice had bought her. Her hair had been washed and dried and flowed around her light bronze shoulders in a gentle wave. Silver sandals completed the look as Bella reached down and picked up a small matching silver clutch bag.

Edward was wearing a pair of black pants with a dark grey button down that he wore over his pants. He picked up his matching black suit jacket and led Bella to the elevators with his hand firmly on the small of her back.

Bella wanted to stop the elevator and jump off so that she could vomit. Her nerves were at an all time high and Edward had spent the day doing his best to keep her calm. Edward felt Bella jump as the elevator reached the ground and the bell sounded.

He guided them out of the way and pulled her to a corner where he took both of her hands in his, "Baby, there is no need to be scared. I am right here, okay?"

Bella nodded, "Don't leave me." She whispered and Edward pulled her into his arms for a moment, "I promise."

With a last kiss and Bella's hand clutched in his they made their way to the five star restaurant in the lobby.

The Maitre greeted them and showed them to a round table that overlooked the beautiful grounds.

Edward ordered a beer and a bottle of water as a shadow fell over them, "Bella? Is it you?"

Bella's head shot up and she stared at the middle aged man who was standing next to the table. Bella nodded, "I – I'm Bella" she said quietly.

"I knew that it was you! Pete said that there was no way that Charlie's kid could be so damn pretty, but then I reminded him that you probably wouldn't have a moustache!" The man laughed jovially at his own joke before he looked at the protective set of Edward's shoulders. The younger man looked as if he was ready to 'call him out' or some shit! Garrett felt a hand hitting the back of his head and swung around to glare at Peter.

Peter stepped forward and stuck out his hand, "Bella, I'm Peter Stubbs and this idiot is Garrett Pace." He shook Bella's hand and turned to Edward, "You must be Doctor Cullen?"

After introductions were made the two men sat down and ordered a beer.

Garrett hadn't taken his eyes off Bella, except for a few minutes as they placed their orders.

"I can't believe how much like Charlie you look, Bella. He had the same eyes as you and although you are much prettier than he was, you have the same smile as well." He said as Bella blushed.

Peter laughed, "Your dad used to blush as well. He was never one to be comfortable around the ladies and never took compliments well, either."

The smile faded from Peter's face and he looked guilty for a moment, "Bella; we never knew what happened to you. After Charlie died, we were all still in shock and then we remembered you, but DCF had already taken you and no one would tell us anything. We tried to find you, but we ran out of ideas and leads. We are so very sorry that you were sent to – that place." For a moment Edward saw what every criminal that had ever crossed Detective Peter Stubbs saw; there was a hard coldness in his eyes that sent a shiver of fear up Edward's back.

Bella reached out her hand and covered Peter's, "Hey, it's okay. You know, it wasn't so bad in the beginning. Growing up in the kid's home wasn't all-bad. It was only when they sent me to the Rawlings that things took a turn for the worst." Her eyes glittered with tears and Edward knew that she was thinking of her lost baby.

He reached out and put an arm around her shoulders.

Garrett cleared his throat and Edward saw that the two hardened policemen had been just as moved by Bella's short speech as he was.

"Okay, well let's move onto happier times; tell us what you are up to know." He said and Bella spent the next several minutes while they ate telling them about school and her plans to become a teacher.

Garrett smiled, "Did you know that your mom was a kindergarten teacher?"

Bella shook her head, "No I didn't. I don't know much about her at all, except that she died in a car crash when I was just a baby."

"Charlie used to talk about her all the time and we both felt as if we knew her." He looked over at Peter who gave him a slight nod.

"Bella; we kept his things – your dad. Some of us went to pack up the house that you lived in, after and we boxed up your things and kept them. We put them into storage – I guess, we hoped that you would come and find us one day, you know?"

Bella nodded and Garrett continued.

"The furniture was old but there was a cederwood hope chest that Charlie told us had been passed down from his great-great-grandfather and there are some boxes of photos and stuff. There is also a box of baby stuff that he kept of yours. If you want…"

Garrett never got any further as Bella leapt from her seat and rushed around the table to hug first him and then Peter. Edward noticed with amusement that both men were blushing furiously as Bella planted a kiss on their cheeks.

"Thank you both so much! This is more than I ever hoped for." She said before she sat down again.

The rest of the evening passed with the two friends regaling Bella and Edward with stories of Charlie and Bella was warmed by the fact that they had both obviously admired and loved her father.

Peter was a good few years younger than Garrett and he explained that Charlie had bust him for a foiled car theft when he was younger and had taken him under his wing and after scaring the crap out of the teenager for attempting to steal a police chief's car, and a few years later after Peter had successfully completed high school, he had gone on the police academy.

Peter stared out of the window, lost in the memory as he told Bella that Charlie and she had gone to his graduation ceremony.

Peter quickly wiped his eyes before he looked at Bella, "I loved him like a father and I was so lost after he died and you disappeared."

Edward and Garrett quietly excused themselves and the two men walked onto the patio so that Bella could still see him as she sat on a sofa in a small lounge area and held Peter's hand as they talked quietly.

Garrett grunted and Edward looked up to see the large man staring at him, "Is she okay now?" he asked gruffly.

Edward pursed his lips as he thought of how to answer his question, "She is now. She wasn't for a while but that's not my story to tell. I love her. She has a home in Vermont. Everyone loves her, hell my parents have all but adopted her."

Garrett nodded, "Good, that's good. It's good that she has a place, you know? Charlie loved that kid so much. She was his whole world and he was probably turning in his grave when what happened to her. She was always special, even as a toddler. She was so warm and loving and she had us all wrapped around her finger, and then they were gone and for a long time it was like she had died as well. It fucking ate us alive that we couldn't find her. When your brother contacted me, it was the happiest day in forever. The guys in the squad room went nuts. They were laughing and Pete cried like a baby; my wife, Katy was inconsolable for days. We hadn't been married long and we loved Bella as if she was our own, hell we all did. We all felt as if she was a part of us." He chuckled ruefully as he quickly wiped the moisture off his cheek, "That little girl had us all wrapped around her finger from the moment we met her, so in a way, she has six uncles or big brothers or surrogate fathers or some shit like that, and I know that we have missed fifteen years of her life, but we are not letting her go now, Cullen. Just saying!" Garrett ended off as he twisted his moustache.

He looked more like a biker than a cop, Edward thought. Whereas Peter was more of a preppy boy, Edward could see ink under his rolled up sleeve and he had no doubt that Garrett caused major shit when he wanted to. How the fuck he was a Captain was beyond Edward, but he knew that he never wanted to get on the bad side of this man.

"So, is Rawlings taken care of?" Edward asked.

Garrett let out a loud bark of laughter, "I like you Edward! And yes, Mister and his missus have new living accommodation and last I heard, the asshole got himself a new boyfriend by the name of Pablo, a six foot nine man who hates sex offenders who hurt kids. Mister Rawlings is doing just fine."

Just then Bella and Peter walked outside to join them and Bella quickly walked to Edward's side and slid her arm around his waist.

Once again it was Peter who held out his hand to Edward, "It was good to meet you Edward. From what Bella tells me, it was you and your family that convinced her to contact us and we are so glad that you did."

After a few minutes, they said goodbye and they made plans to see the two men and their families for a barbeque a couple of days later. Carlisle and Esme had been invited as well and Edward accepted on their behalf.

As they rode up to their floor, Bella could not quell the feeling of wellbeing and excitement that she had in her stomach. For the first time since they had arrived, she knew that everything was going to be okay.

**A/N****: Hey everyone, thank you so much for your ongoing support for Hope Springs. So what do you think of Peter and Garrett? **

**Next chapter will be the ceremony and then they are back home and there will be a time leap. A big hug to Fiorella for her awesome beta'ing skills – thank you honey.**

**Hugs and kisses till next time,**

**Michele**


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 23-**_

_**After a few minutes, they said goodbye and they made plans to see the two men and their families for a barbeque a couple of days later. Carlisle and Esme had been invited as well and Edward accepted on their behalf.**_

_**As they rode up to their floor, Bella could not quell the feeling of wellbeing and excitement that she had in her stomach. For the first time since they had arrived, she knew that everything was going to be okay.**_

**CHAPTER 24 – HONOUR THY FATHER… **

Bella woke up the following morning, feeling refreshed and lighthearted. She was excited when Edward told her that he had arranged for them to visit some tourist attractions. After a quick breakfast they spent the rest of the day exploring Phoenix. Bella loved the Heard Museum and the Desert Botanical Gardens and when they got back to their hotel, they relaxed next to the pool before eating dinner at one of the restaurants in the grounds.

Esme and Carlisle arrived the next day and Bella couldn't believe how much she had missed them. She was bouncing up and down when their flight arrived and Edward laughingly told her that she was spending too much time with Alice and Rosalie.

"Edward! Bella!" Bella spotted Esme and Carlisle hurrying towards them and before she could stop herself she was rushing over to them . Carlisle chuckled as he hugged her and kissed her cheek before she flung her arms around Esme. She knew that she should have been terrified of the overwhelming feelings of love that she felt as Esme's arms closed around her but she didn't care and she just hugged Esme tighter.

"Well, hello Darling! That was a wonderful welcome!" Esme said as Bella finally released her. She blushed as she realized that she was being a little over dramatic and she backed away slightly.

Esme and Carlisle greeted Edward and Bella could not stop smiling as they made their way through the airport with her arm tucked into Esme's as she and Edward received a rundown of the latest news from Hope Springs.

It was obvious to Esme and Carlisle how much Bella had missed them by how animated she was. Carlisle patted Esme's hand as she clutched his knee. Bella had come to mean so much to them and he knew that both he and Esme loved her as if she was their own child.

In some ways Carlisle was even more protective of her than he was over Brianna, because for all of her youth, Bree had been nurtured and loved all of her life and she had always been a confident and outgoing child; whereas Bella was so weary and mistrusting of people and with good reason.

Watching her laugh and chat with Esme made him realize just how much she had changed in the past months. Gone were the waif-like appearance and the hard, suspicious glares. She was still cautious around people that she didn't know but her eyes were filled with life and vigor and her body reflected her wellbeing. Bella would always be slim but instead of the gaunt, half-starved look that she had first been, her skin glowed with health, as did her abundance of chocolate and mahogany hair.

Bella felt Carlisle staring at her and she smiled affectionately at him. He winked and returned her smile.

They returned to the hotel and they parted ways so that Esme and Carlisle could get settled, while Bella and Edward took advantage of the swimming pool.

Carlisle and Esme joined them a little while later and Bella wasn't surprised to see that Esme had a perfect figure for a woman half her age. Her level of activity kept her slim and her skin was supple, while Carlisle was fit and firm from running and he wore his board shorts well.

Bella and Esme giggled when they caught a couple of women eyeing Carlisle and Edward, much to the guys' embarrassment.

They ate lunch in one of the cabanas that lined the swimming pool and later that afternoon they got ready for the barbeque.

Garrett had said that it was an informal affair and so Bella dressed in a floral sundress, while Edward and Carlisle both wore khaki shorts and white button down shirts. Esme wore a pair of linen walking shorts with a sleeveless cream blouse.

Esme put her arm around Bella's waist as they waited for the car to be brought around, "Are you nervous, Bella? You look as if you want to bolt."

Bella shrugged, "You know that I don't do well with strangers and Garrett and Peter are great, but now we are meeting their families."

Esme caught Edward's eye and she motioned to Bella as she patted her arm, "If you want to leave, then you just tell Edward and we will be out of there." She said quietly before she moved away so that Edward could take her place.

He pulled Bella close and tipped her chin up with a finger, "Hey there, pretty girl, you okay?" he asked quietly as he gently pulled her lip from between her teeth with his thumb.

Bella sighed and nodded, "I guess it's just nerves."

Edward leaned down and kissed her quickly, "It's just friends getting together."

Their car arrived and Edward followed the directions that he had been given and before they knew it they were pulling up outside an average house in one of the older suburbs of Phoenix.

Bella clutched Edward's hand as they made their way to the gate.

The front door opened and Garrett stood on the doorstep with a tall, auburn haired woman next to him.

The woman barely waited for them to walk up the pathway before she let out a muffled sob and flew down the steps towards Bella.

Bella froze as the stranger threw her arms around her and began to cry uncontrollably and she gripped Edward's hand even tighter.

Her eyes were wide and full of panic as she stared at Garrett with an open mouth.

"Katy, Katy honey, come on, you need to let her go." Garrett said as he ran down the steps and put his huge hands on his wife's shoulders and he gently pried her away from Bella.

"I'm sorry, Bells, but my Katy has been a basket case ever since I told her that you were coming over, please forgive her." He looked at Carlisle and Esme then and held out his hand as he held his wife firmly to his side.

"Hello, I'm Captain Garrett Pace and this is my very emotional wife, Kate." He said.

Edward introduced his parents while Bella stared at Kate with a frown. The woman looked to be in her late thirties and she seemed to be quite pretty if one didn't take her blotchy skin and red nose into account. Bella noticed that she had startlingly blue eyes and her pretty face held lines that showed that she normally laughed a lot. It was a lovely face and Bella felt a stirring in the deep recesses of her memory. _She remembered Kate's red hair._

Kate whispered an apology before she quickly excused herself and hurried back inside the house. Garrett led them around the side of the house into a large backyard where Bella immediately saw Peter and a young black woman that she assumed was his wife. She was proved correct as he greeted her and Edward warmly before he introduced his wife Melissa.

Garrett introduced a hoard of children where were playing in the medium sized swimming pool, while his teenage son, Garrett Junior and his friends were 'lifeguards' to the smaller children.

"Come and sit down here, while I get you something to drink." Garrett said as he directed them to a grouping of outside armchairs that had been set up under an enormous Mimosa tree.

Bella noticed that Kate had not yet returned and she asked Garrett if she could help him with the drinks.

As they walked inside to the kitchen, Garrett turned to her with a sad smile, "Katy was devastated when we 'lost' you Bella and she has felt guilty about it for years, so if you could cut her some slack?"

Bella pushed her hands the front pockets of her dress, "Of course, um can you tell me where the bathroom is?"

Garrett directed her and she quickly used the toilet before she splashed some water onto her face. Of all of the things about Arizona, she missed the heat the least.

When she walked into the small kitchen, she wasn't surprised to see Garrett outside already and Kate standing at the counter.

"Bella, I'm so sorry for my atrocious behavior! You must think that I'm completely crazy!" Kate flashed Bella an apologetic smile as she blushed and pushed her wavy hair off her shoulders and Bella's eyes widened as she watched the older woman twist her hair up and secure it with a hair tie that she had around her wrist.

Kate noticed Bella's look and shrugged with a smile, "I have kept a hair tie on my wrist ever since I was a young girl, I – " Kate abruptly stopped talking as Bella silently held out her wrist to show the blue thread covered hair tie.

Kate felt her eyes fill with tears as she watched Bella reach up and twist her hair in a carbon copy of the way that Kate had secured her own hair into the messy bun.

Bella gave Kate a half shrug and a watery smile, "I never knew _how_ I knew to do that and I always have a hair band on my arm, but it was you…"

Kate held out her arms and this time Bella didn't hesitate to hug her, "I have missed you Bella. I prayed for your safety every day. I prayed that we would find you one day."

After a few minutes the two women made their way outside and Edward was instantly at Bella's side. He could see that she had been crying, "Are you okay?" he said, concerned.

Bella smiled and patted his chest, "I'm fine, promise. Kate here was the person that taught me to tie my hair up, apparently."

They enjoyed a leisurely and rowdy meal and Bella enjoyed talking to the younger children.

As they walked to the car, Kate smiled at Bella, "You are going to be a wonderful teacher, Bella-Bee -"

Bella stopped walking and stared at the woman before she said in a hushed voice, "Ki-ki! I called you Ki-ki!"

Garrett's jaw dropped, "You did!"

Bella smiled, "I remember your laugh, Garrett and I remember you, Kate, well certain things about you. Like your laugh and your hair and you calling me Bella-Bee."

Bella looked at Peter, "I remember riding on either your shoulder's or Charlie's. I think that we were at a ball park – all I know is that it was really noisy. I remember the smell of popcorn and beer." She said as she scrunched up her nose at the memory.

Peter nodded enthusiastically, "It was my shoulders. Charlie took you and me to a game at Chase Field! Hey," he looked at Edward, "there's a home game this weekend but I don't think we can get tickets." He said sadly.

Bella smiled, "It's okay, Pete. Maybe we can just take a drive there, if it's open, I mean?"

Peter looked at Garrett and they grinned at each other before Peter turned to look at Bella and Edward, "I'm going to see what we can set up, okay?"

Melissa shook her head at him and he pouted at her and shrugged his shoulders as he tried to look innocent and failed miserably.

Bella laughed at how he pouted and Melissa shook her head, "Don't let him fool you for a second! This man will do anything to go to a game, but it is a lot of fun."

"Charlie loved baseball and basketball and well, any sport really, didn't he, Pete?"

Peter nodded, "Bells, you had the cutest damn outfits – you would run around in this little Mariners shorts set and you also had a few caps that people had bought you that you used to wear backwards!"

Bella smiled, "Who are the Mariners?" she asked.

Garrett laughed, "That's the team that Charlie used to support up in Washington. The Seattle Mariners; you also sported a Seahawks jersey, if I remember correctly," he wiggled his eyebrows at Bella, "you used to wear it as a night shirt."

Bella rolled her eyes and blushed, "Hey, Pete? You keep calling me Bells, why do you do that?" she asked.

Only the Cullen's called her 'Bells' and she didn't recall Esme or Carlisle calling her that during the day.

Peter smiled sadly, "Charlie always called you 'Bells'. It kind of rubbed off on the rest of the team, I guess. I'm sorry if it upsets you." He said quietly.

Bella shared a smile with Carlisle, "It doesn't upset me at all. It's just that the Cullen's call me 'Bells'. I like it." She said.

With a promise to see them all at the ceremony two days later, they all said their goodbyes. The journey back to the hotel was carried on quietly between Esme, Carlisle and Edward. Bella sat quietly and listened to everyone commenting about the two men and their families that they had met.

"Bella, are you okay?" Carlisle asked quietly once they were standing on the pavement outside the hotel.

Bella smiled, "I think so. It's just a little overwhelming you know? Being here again; hearing about my Charlie; meeting people that I seem to remember – it's a little mindboggling." She turned to face Edward and Esme who were standing to one side.

"I think that I'm going to take a walk in the grounds for a while. I will see you all tomorrow." She said as she walked over and reached up to kiss Edward's jaw.

Edward frowned and began to shake his head in protest but Bella stilled him, "Baby, please, I need some time to think things over. I'm not going to go far and I am quite safe in the grounds, I promise."

One of the uniformed doormen overheard her comment and he stepped forward, "Excuse me for interrupting sir, madam, but I couldn't help overhear your comment and your wife will be quite safe Sir, as long as you stay within the lit lawn area madam, we do have security guards on duty and the grounds are also covered by 24 hour cameras."

Edward eyed the doorman and then looked down at Bella. He could see that she was tense and stressed and as much as he wanted to stay near her, he looked over to meet his father's gaze. Carlisle was telling him quite clearly to leave her alone, and so he just nodded and kissed Bella's cheek as he leveled the doorman with what he hoped was an intimidating glare, "Make sure that you keep her safe." He growled before let Carlisle lead him and Esme inside the hotel.

Bella smiled sympathetically at the doorman who looked a little frightened by Edward, "I'm sorry; he's a little over protective." She said.

The man smiled and introduced himself as Bob, "No need to apologize Madam, I've a daughter around your age and I know who protective I am over her and her mother."

With that he pointed out a well lit pathway that wound around the pool area, and although it was semi private, it was monitored and patrolled.

Bella thanked him and walked down the path. She stopped after a while and sat down on a bench that overlooked the beautifully lit garden. She thought that she could see their room and she even thought that she could see the outline of Edward standing at the railings, but thought that she must be mistaken when the person disappeared from sight.

It had been a revealing couple of days and Bella's mind was jumbled with images and half memories. She wasn't really sure what was real and what she imagined.

She knew for a fact that she remembered snippets of things and times that Garrett, Kate and Peter had spoken of.

With those memories, they had stirred up a restlessness that Bella hadn't felt in a long time. Her life was changing again – enlarging; growing. Her world was once again expanding. Whereas before it had just been about her and her unborn baby, but once she arrived in Hope Springs, she had been adopted into a family, a community. She had friends and family and with the trip to Phoenix, there were even more people that cared about her.

Bella rubbed her head as her temples began to throb. Her life had been so simple before. All that she had to do was to survive to see the next day. But now, she had people that relied on her. People that she missed – that in itself was a joke – she had never missed anyone before! Now she felt tugs on her heart when she thought of everyone back 'home'. She missed her girlfriends; she missed the children and she missed the warm greetings of friends and neighbors as she passed them on the way to the shop in the morning or how it could take twenty minutes to get a seat in the diner because she had to stop and listen to the townsfolk talking about their gardens or their children or the latest gossip.

Bella thought back to her birthday and how everyone had pulled together to give her a birthday party to cover almost every party that a young person should have. There had been balloons, and streamers; ice-cream and cake; sparklers and bubbles as well as a dance floor.

_Only people that love you would do that for you_, the little voice inside her told her.

And then there was Edward.

Bella sighed, just thinking his name could make her weak at the knees.

He was everything that she never knew she always wanted. Bella remembered someone writing that. He loved her unconditionally and nothing about her past life or her present one had scared him away. He was supportive and protective but at the same time, he allowed her to make her own decisions and her own mistakes.

Even though he was older than her, he was prepared to wait for her to finish school and get her degrees and a job. When she had pushed him to let her quit or go home, Edward had vehemently opposed her idea, knowing that she would regret it if she had done it.

Bella sighed as she smiled to herself. He knew her so well. Even after two weeks of crying and acute homesickness, he had not relented, but he had made sure to drive the two hours at least twice a week just to show her that he was there for her.

"He knows me better than I know myself nowadays." Bella mumbled to herself.

_Fuck! Having people in your life is hard work!_

Finally Bella thought about Garrett, Peter, Kate and the other men in Charlie's unit that she was going to meet in a couple of days.

These people had fleshed out a past that Bella had forgotten about. They gave her a history; a past; a foundation.

Bella lost track of time as she sat staring at a beautifully lit fountain and she put everything that she was feeling into perspective. Her sessions with Jasper had paid off handsomely and he had taught Bella several coping and reasoning techniques that she used as she tucked her feet under her and propped her head up on her hand.

Before she realized it, Bob was gently shaking her shoulder.

"Mrs. Cullen; you husband sent this throw down for you." He said as Bella sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

She checked the small watch that she had received as a birthday present from Edward and saw that it was almost 1 a.m and her eyes widened.

"Oh my! Thank you so much for looking out for me Bob; I will be sure to tell Edward."

Bob smiled as he led the way back to the front door and held it open for her, "No problem ma'am, I hope that you had enough time to think things through."

Bella smiled, "I did, thanks. I guess that I just needed to take a few 'human moments' you know."

Bob held the elevator door open for her, "No harm in that at all."

They said goodnight and Bella went up to the top floor. She had removed her shoes earlier and her feet sank into the plush carpet as she walked down the hallway. She didn't see a light under their door and she went into their suite silently.

Edward had left the bathroom light bringing and she was feeling a little chilled from the cool night air and so she had a shower and washed her hair. Afterwards, she sat in the bathroom and towel dried her hair as she snuggled into the thick toweling robe that the hotel had provided.

Bella turned out the light and made her way across the room. She could see Edward lying on his stomach in the bed and now that she had showered, Bella could feel how warm the room was. She dropped the robe to the floor and lifted the light sheet and blanket and slid in beside him.

Almost immediately Edward had turned them both so that he was spooning against her, his naked warmth pressed tightly against her back as one hand wrapped around her hips and the other cupped her breast.

Bella smiled and put her hand over his that lay on her stomach.

"I love you, Edward." She whispered softly. This was her safe place, her sanctuary. Just being in the same space as Edward made Bella feel secure.

She closed her eyes and within seconds was asleep.

Edward's eyes glittered in the dark. Sleep was the furthest thing on his mind. Ever since they had left Garrett's house, Edward had been waiting for a meltdown that didn't come.

Instead, his stomach had hurt from the stone that lay in his belly as he watched Bella pull away from himself and his parents.

When she had told them to leave her alone, Edward had been ready to snap or smack someone. Fortunately his father had read the signs quite clearly and he had hurried both him and Esme inside.

"Dad; what the fuck?" Edward had growled as Carlisle had frog-marched them across the lobby, completely ignoring both his and Esme's protests, to a small adjoining bar. Carlisle had hissed to him to sit down and he had quickly ordered a round of drinks.

Finally he looked from Edward to Esme sternly, "Now listen you two; I know that you are concerned about Bella, and I am as well. But you both have to understand that the poor girl is completely overwhelmed right now! Edward, of course being back here will bring back some bad memories, but if you just stop to think you will see that in a short period of time, less than a year, Bella has gone from being alone, and thinking that she was going to be alone for the rest of her life, to being alone and pregnant and then she was swooped upon by all of us and now – now she has this whole other history! She didn't think that she would ever find out about her past or her parents and now she finds that there are people that looked for her! Garrett and Peter and several others missed her and never stopped hoping that she would be found!" Carlisle stopped talking as he took a long drink of his microbrew before he began to speak again.

His tone was less harsh as he saw how worried Edward looked, "Edward, no one doubts your feelings for Bella, son. She just needs to get things into perspective. This is a lot for her to cope with right now and in a couple of days, she is going to be at a ceremony to honor a man that she really doesn't remember! And there are all these people that have expectations of her. Before, Bella has run whenever she felt threatened." He put his hand on Edward's shoulder when the younger man looked as if he was going to bolt to find Bella.

"Hang on, let me finish. She is not trying to run this time. She just asked you to let her deal with it in her own time and in her own way, so, you both have to trust her. Let her come to you." With that, he sat back and smiled as he picked up his drink, "Now, stop sulking and drink up."

Esme wiped her cheeks as she picked up her glass of white wine, "You are lucky that I love you, Carlisle Cullen!"

Carlisle winked at her unashamedly, "Of course you love me, Sweetheart; who else can make you moan…"

Edward glared at his parents, "_Good God_; please, please stop talking and do not finish that sentence!"

And just like that, the tense moment passed, as Edward grumbled at his parents who found his discomfort amusing.

Carlisle comforted Edward as they parted at the elevator, "You can let her know that you are there for her; just don't crowd her."

"Thanks Dad."

Edward had paced for the first hour. Then he had showered and paced some more before he dressed in sleep pants and a T-shirt and made his way to the front door.

The door man greeted him with a sympathetic smile, "She is sitting near the reflection pond, Sir." He said.

Edward nodded and held out the throw, "I don't want to disturb her, but could you give this to her for me, please?"

Bob nodded, "She is quite safe sir."

Edward nodded and looked at the man's name tag, "Thank you Bob, I really appreciate it." He held out the bank note that he had taken out of his wallet but the man refused, "I have a wife and daughter and sometimes they need their time out."

Edward made his way back upstairs and forced himself to brush his teeth and climb into bed after leaving the bathroom light on and the door slightly ajar.

He lay for what seemed like hours before he heard the door open. Every fiber in his body relaxed instantly.

_She's home._

Edward began to fall asleep as he heard the shower running.

Sometime later he felt her climb into bed and before he could think straight, he had pulled her into his arms.

Holding Bella against him was as necessary as breathing, he thought as sleep finally claimed him.

=====HS=====

Bella took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom. Edward looked extremely handsome in a light grey summer suite with a plan white shirt and a grey tie. He turned from the window and smiled at her.

"You look beautiful love, are you ready?" he asked as he picked up her purse and handed it to her.

Bella let out a shaky breath, "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Let's go." She said.

Edward opened the door and he put his hand in the small of Bella's back as they walked to the lift.

Bella had decided to wear a plain cream dress with a thin black belt and black sandals. She left her hair loose and although she seemed a little pale beneath her tan, Edward was pleased to see that she didn't look too nervous to face the day. He had made sure that they had a quiet day after the barbeque and they had spent most of it reading by the pool. Bella had approached Edward as they sat on their balcony, eating a private dinner the night before. She had opened up to him about how she was feeling and he was grateful that he had listened to Carlisle and not pushed her earlier. Edward had encouraged her to call Jasper which she did and afterwards, they had lay in a mess of tangled limbs as Edward had hummed her to sleep.

Esme and Carlisle greeted them in the lobby and the four of them drove the short distance to where the Honor Fallen Heroes Ceremony would be held.

Bella was surprised to see so many people walking towards the park where the service was to be held. Garrett had given Edward a special marker to put onto the car's windshield and they were waved through to a special parking lot for the families of the fallen men and women in uniform.

Edward put his hand on Bella's back as he led them to the shade covered lawn. Bella looked at the many small flags that had been placed in the ground and she was pleased that she had come to honor a man that had given his life for his duty and had given her so much.

Garrett looked tall and handsome in his dark blue dress uniform and white gloves. He and Peter and a few other men were waiting for Bella and Edward.

Garrett introduced the men and Bella blushed as most of them made comments about how much she had 'grown' since they had last seen her etc. Peter rolled his eyes a few times before he snapped _that seeing as they had not seen her for fifteen years, of course she had grown!_

Bella just smiled before she took her seat between Esme and Edward.

The first part of the service was somber but not too emotional, which Bella was thankful for, as there were some people that had suffered recent losses and they were emotional already.

After a short speech about the fallen heroes of the Police, Highway Patrol and Firemen, the names of the fallen men and women were read out. Each family was presented with a small memorial flag. At the end of the name reading Bella saw Garrett walk up to the microphone and her heart began to beat faster as she clutched Edward's hand in her lap.

"On the twenty-second of July, fifteen years ago, Police Chief Charles Swan gave his life to save that of innocent men and women in the squad room. At the time, the Chief was survived by his then four year old daughter, Isabella Marie Swan. Unfortunately there was a grave error done and Miss Swan was never given the opportunity to see her father buried with honors nor was she presented with the colors." His eyes shone with the glint of tears as he looked at Bella, "We would beg your indulgence today, to honor a man who loved his job, his adopted city and state and above all else, his daughter." He looked at Bella again, "Isabella, your father would have been so proud of the woman that you have become. He loved you with all his heart and he frequently said that you were the very best part of him and Renee."

Bella felt as if her heart was beating so fast that it was going to take flight. She wasn't prepared for what was about to happen as the Honor Guard stepped up and began to a twenty one bell salute instead of a gun salute.

As the first officer stepped forward and rang the large bell, Bella jumped and she felt tears begin to fall down her cheeks. She didn't remember him well, but suddenly she was crying for her father. She cried for all the years of loneliness without him. She cried for all the things that they had never experienced together. She cried for what might have been.

Bella felt her heart contract painfully as she listened to the sound of the last bell as it faded away.

Esme pressed a white handkerchief into her free hand, and Bella wiped her cheeks. A lone man put a bugle to his lips and the haunting sounds of Taps rang out, clear and sweet as Garrett and Peter folded a flag.

As the sound died, Peter and four other men that had been introduced to Bella earlier stepped forward and saluted Bella, who was moved beyond anything that she had felt before as she watched the hulking large men cry for a man who had died so many years before.

Finally Garrett stood in front of her and he presented her with the flag.

Garrett blinked the tears from his eyes and stepped back as a disembodied voice rang out, _"This is a call for Police Chief Swan, number 626488 – please respond…." _Bella gasped.

"_Police Chief Charles Swan, Number 626488 – please respond…" _Bella heard people crying and Esme sobbed quietly in Carlisle's arms. Bella bowed her head over the flag that she clutched tightly to her chest. Her shoulder's shook with her silent sobs as Edward pulled her into his arms. His own tears dripped down his chin into her hair.

"_Rest in Peace Chief Swan, you have surpassed your duty to your country, rest in peace."_

Bella kept her head bowed as people began to move around her after a final prayer was given. She felt Edward's chest rumble as he spoke to someone and then they were alone. Bella felt a gentle hand on her back and instinctively she turned to Esme and allowed her to fold her into her motherly embrace.

The two men stepped away from the women and Carlisle could see that Edward was as angry as he was, "You obviously didn't know that they were going to perform almost his entire funeral, did you?" Carlisle bit out.

Edward dragged his fingers through his hair and shook his head, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, No! I can't believe that we were blindsided like that! There's Garrett now!" he spun around and stormed over to where Garrett was standing with the other men from before.

"Whoa there, 'solder', slow down there," one of the men said quietly.

Edward ignored the comment as he pushed his way to stand directly in front of Garrett, "Garrett, what the fuck? How could you do that to her? She is a mess, man! What the hell were you people thinking?" he spat the words out as his anger overflowed.

Edward didn't care that the men standing with Garrett could have taken him down with a single blow or that compared to one of the men, "Tex" who was at least five inches taller than him and was built like a tank, he was at a distinct disadvantage. These people had made his Bella cry.

"Easy man," Edward felt hands grasp his arms to restrain him and he felt his anger spike, "Let me go!" he growled but Peter stepped up to Edward and glared at him, "This is not the time, Cullen! Do you think that _we_ set this up? We had no fucking idea that the brass was going to spring this on us! Garrett was given a choice when we arrived this morning; either he handled it or the Police Commissioner was going to do it – what do you think that he chose? Huh? Do you think that it was easy? He almost had his balls handed to him because he refused to have a gun salute! So just you fucking settle down – we can deal with this later. I suggest that you take Bella back to the hotel and we will see you at Hollow Lake late this afternoon. Dinner will be at six and fireworks at eight, alright?"

Peter had not raised his voice above a whisper, but Edward realized why he was such a great cop.

Although his words were soft, they were delivered with a steel edge and eyes that glittered with barely suppressed fury were ice cold.

Edward stepped back and only then did he realize that the other four men had surrounded them, giving them some privacy.

He ran his hand through his hair again and sighed, "Um, okay. I will talk to Bella and we will see you later." He said turning away. After taking two steps he turned around and walked back to Garrett.

Edward could see the sadness and regret in the older man's eyes as he stared back at him.

"Sorry for jumping to conclusions there, but that woman is my life. Thank you for giving Isabella a chance to know her father. I know that this could not have been easy for you." Edward said as he held out his hand.

Garrett gripped his hand tightly, "You're alright, Cullen. Charlie would have approved of you, Edward. He would have given you as hard a time as we are going to, but he would definitely have approved."

Garrett gave Carlisle and understanding nod as Carlisle led Edward back to where Bella and Esme still sat.

Edward knelt down next to Bella and ran his hand gently over her head, "Baby? Come on; let's go back to the hotel."

Edward pulled Bella against his side, as he walked back to where their car was parked. Most of the ground was now deserted.

Esme insisted that Bella sit in the back seat with her on the way to the hotel. Edward and Carlisle shared a quiet conversation; after which Edward made a quick phone call as Carlisle drove back to the hotel.

Once there, the two couples parted ways, with Edward holding Bella around her waist as he led her down the hallway to their suite.

Edward closed the door as Bella moved to stand in the middle of the room. She kept stroking the material of the flag that she held.

Bella still hadn't spoken since they left the memorial and Edward wondered what was going on in her head.

He left her there as he walked into the bathroom and collected the two bath sheets that had been laid out for them as well as their robes.

When he walked back into the sitting room, he saw that the platter of fresh fruit, crackers and cheese was sitting on the side table, along with a jug of sweet iced tea.

Bella was standing at the large windows staring outside.

She had been lost in her own thoughts as they drove away from the memorial service. It had been an emotional morning and she was relieved that they had time to themselves before they had to head off for the Independence Day barbeque.

She either didn't hear or she ignored the sound of Edward opening the balcony door.

Edward was pleased to see that his instructions had been followed to the letter. The hot tub had been turned on and while the temperature had been turned down so that it was only slightly heated; Edward knew that it would provide Bella's body with the correct amount of warmth to recover from the morning's ordeal.

"Bella?" he called her name softly and Bella looked up at him.

"Sorry, I was thinking of something else, did you want something?" she asked quietly.

"No love, I was wondering if you want to laze in the hot tub for a while."

Bella looked at him blankly before she turned and stared out the balcony doors, "Oh! Sure, that sounds nice."

Edward would settle for nice if that would help Bella and so he ushered her into their bedroom and began undressing and Bella followed suit.

Edward reached into the dresser for his swimming trunks but when he felt Bella's hungry gaze, he turned around only to find her standing gloriously naked, with her clothing scattered on the floor. Her eyes were black with desire as she stared at his chest and abdomen before her gaze lowered to where his cock was waking up.

Edward was sorely tempted but he knew that he could not give in to her at that moment. Even though it was common for people to deal with grief by various methods to want to come together in the most basic way, he didn't want Bella to do something that she was going to regret later and he knew her well enough to know that she would regret tainting this day with images of them fucking like rabbits!

With his mind made up; Edward quickly finished dressing and made his way into the bathroom. _They were absolutely not going to have sex!_

Bella sighed. She had really enjoyed the peep show. The thought made her smile as she put on a white bikini that Edward had bought her in Santa Barbara. Edward had bought it for her because he was amused when she pointed out the pretty leaf on each breast and he told her that it was a Cannabis leaf. _They were absolutely going to have sex!_

Without waiting for him, Bella walked outside and climbed into the hot tub. The water was perfect as it wasn't too hot or cold. Edward put the platter of food and the tray of drinks beside the tub and climbed in.

Bella was sitting staring at nothing in particular as she felt Edward pull her back between his legs. Edward could feel how stiffly she held herself and he began to run his hands over her shoulders and arms gently.

Little by little Bella relaxed until she allowed her head to drop backwards so that it was resting on his collarbone and her legs floated out in front of her. She became aware of Edward's hard body behind her. His hands were lightly brushing up and down her thighs, and Bella licked her lips and she was unable to stop the groan escape as she felt his fingertips graze the sides of her breasts.

Edward felt the moment when Bella's breathing changed from relaxed and deep to shallow, almost panting.

He felt as her hips undulated backwards against the juncture of his thighs and the feeling of her warm ass against him, made his dick stiffen and twitch.

_Now is so not the time to get all hot and horny, Cullen!_ He reminded himself sternly, while Bella felt moisture collect in her bikini bottoms that had nothing to do with water.

Edward pushed her forward slightly and moved out from behind her, "Let's eat shall we?" he said and cringed as his voice broke on the last word. He adjusted himself quickly before he pulled their towels towards them and dried his hands off.

Edward fussed over their plates and then he rushed to get more ice for their drinks while Bella rolled her eyes and smirked. She found it funny that she was making him nervous.

She dried herself off but kept her feet in the water and she sat with her back against the balcony railing.

She noticed that Edward tried to keep his eyes firmly on the ground in front of him, or on his plate, or on the sky or her right shoulder; in fact anywhere but her body. Bella bit her lip as she tested her theory by leaning forward to pluck another piece of papaya off the platter, even though she still had a piece on her plate. She made sure to jiggle her small breasts as much as she could.

"Fuck me, what was I thinking buying that piece of dental floss?" she heard Edward growl to himself and she dipped her head to stifle her laugh.

She was still sad about Charlie, and the morning had been very emotional for her, but Bella didn't harbor any latent feelings regarding her father.

Yes, she would always regret the fact that she had been cheated out of having parents but she had more family now than she could cope with, and she would not have met any of them if Charlie hadn't died.

Realistically, he had died a long time before and even though she didn't remember too much about him, she knew that he had loved her and she hoped that he would be proud of her. She was more pissed off and amused by the fact that Edward was treating her as if she was made of porcelain, and she couldn't help but love him for the way that he was trying to keep her at bay.

She wondered whether her father would be disappointed to know that on the day of his memorial, his only child was thinking about mounting her boyfriend like a wanton slut.

Bella sucked on a piece of melon and she saw Edward lick his lips in her peripheral vision.

"How far is it to the lake?" Bella asked as Edward swallowed several times to get rid of the saliva in his mouth. All he could think about was Bella's mouth closed over the flesh colored melon as she sucked on it, her cheeks hollow… _fuck…_

"Hmmm?"

Bella couldn't resist her chuckle, "How long will it take us to get to the lake?"

Edward's eyes snapped up to meet hers and Bella saw his cheeks turn pink "Oh! Um, about an hour I think."

Bella nodded, "I know that we are eating at six, but I'd really like to spend some time with Charlie's friends. I'd like to get to know them a little, so can we leave earlier?"

Edward shook his head slightly to clear the lust induced fog as he registered what she had said, "Of course, baby. You finish eating and I'll call the folks and ask what time they can be ready, okay?"

Bella did want to spend some time getting to know her father's friends and work colleges but she also wanted to tease Edward some more because it was such fun!

Bella had just carried their plates to the sitting room when Edward came inside and told her that they could leave within the hour. Bella stood up and adjusted the bottom of her bikini.

Edward bit his fist as he watched her run her fingers along the legs of the flimsy white fabric.

Bella turned around and raised her eyebrows, "Is something wrong?" she asked innocently.

Edward's eyes narrowed, "You had better stop teasing me, Miss Swan, or else you will find yourself in a whole heap of trouble!" he said as he wagged his finger at her.

Bella put her hand on his chest as she moved towards the bedroom, "I do not know what you mean, but if you think that you can take me; I say bring it on."

With that she sashayed into the bedroom and moments later, Edward heard the shower running.

"She is trying to kill me, I swear she is!" He growled as he went to get dressed.

=====HS=====

Esme and Carlisle were pleased to see that Bella seemed to have recovered from the morning's ordeal. She chatted with them as Edward drove to where the barbeque was taking place. Peter was waiting for them and directed them into a parking space.

Edward could see that he seemed anxious as he stood next to Edward's door.

"How is she?" he asked quietly, as he looked over at Bella.

"She seems to be fine; just go easy on her." Edward cautioned.

Bella pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and looked around. She could see a group of men, women and children sitting under different umbrellas and there was a large open sided marquee set up on the large expanse of lawn. The lake was huge and Bella watched as a few boats went passed.

"Wow, you guys really go all out." She commented as she fell in step with Peter.

He looked at Edward quickly before he rubbed the back of his neck, "Um, yeah, actually this was a tradition that Charlie began after you moved here. Instead of having 'guys nights', he decided to make a family day celebration so that everyone could spend time together, bonding, and stuff, you know."

Bella could hear how uncomfortable he sounded talking about her father and she suspected that Edward had told him not to because of how upset she had been that morning.

Bella, Edward, Esme and Carlisle were warmly welcomed into the group and Bella soon found herself laughing and joking with a couple of the men that she had been introduced to that morning.

"So Tex, you worked with Charlie?" Bella asked as they sat on the dock. Bella was sipping on a soda while Tex nursed a beer.

The big man nodded, "Yeah, we went through the academy together, back in Seattle and when he was sent to Forks, I came here." He shook his head sadly, "It's my fault that he brought you here, Bella."

Bella watched as he swallowed and pushed his sunglasses onto his nose firmly.

She reached out and put her arm onto his, "Tex; you have nothing to feel sorry for. Look at me, I'm fine! I have a good life now. I have the Cullen's and I have Edward. _I'm happy_."

Tex looked down at the tiny hand on his forearm. He had always felt guilty for coaxing Charlie away from the small North Western town.

He took his sunglasses off as Bella pushed hers up on top of her head. Her brown eyes were so much like her father's that it was as if he was staring in Charlie's eyes once more and a sob caught in his throat, "I'm so sorry, Bella. Garrett told us what you went through! Jesus, if we had known, one of us would have stepped forward and taken you!"

Bella could see how much his guilt had been eating at him and she reached out and put her arms around him impulsively, "Don't be sad for me Tex; I'm doing well." She pulled back and smiled at him, "Come on now; you don't want the guys to think that you're a pussy do you?" she teased as she nodded towards the rest of the small band of men walking down the dock towards them.

Tex growled, "They wouldn't fucking dare, little one."

Bella giggled when he winked at her as they stood up.

Garrett, Peter, Torres, Bruno, Mickey, Vince worked together and together with Charlie they had been best friends and comrades. Charlie's death had devastated them all and had also pulled them closer than ever. They were godparents to each other's children; they supported and loved each other through death, divorces, arguments and good times. They were different and argued and bickered like old women but they were always there for each other.

Garrett grinned at Tex, "What's up pansy-boy? Do you have a boo-boo?"

Tex growled and flipped him off as the others chuckled.

Garrett looked at Bella and she could sense the conversation was about to turn serious, "Look Bells, we are so sorry for what happened this morning. None of us had a clue that was going to happen today…"

Before he could carry on Bella held up her hand and looked from one to the other. Only Mickey and Vince were shorter than the other four. Vince looked to be in his mid forties, with his head clean shaved and a goatee, he looked like something out of an old gangster movie. The tattoos on his shoulders showed that he had lived hard, while Mickey had a baby face to go with his name, even though he was in his mid to late thirties.

Each of them looked concerned and worried. Bella rolled her eyes, "Guys, I really appreciate you going out of your way to let me know how much Charlie meant to you and everything, but please stop pussy-footing around me! I'm not made of porcelain! You all forget; I lived on the streets for a time and I've seen some stuff and I had stuff happen to me that wasn't great, but if I am as much like Charlie as you all say I am, then my father wasn't one for long speeches and bullshit either, so what do you say that we cut the sad faces and tears and you tell me what Charlie was really like, because I'm clumsy as hell and I cannot play any sport whatsoever! So, what do you say?"

"But Edward said…" Peter mumbled and Bella looked at the lawn where Edward was chatting with the county coroner and Carlisle.

Bella shook her head, "Edward also thinks that I'm going to break, but then again, he's a doctor – what does he know. You just leave Edward to me; now what do you say?"

She stared each man down until Garrett let out a laugh, "God! You are definitely Charlie's kid; that bitch face is just like he used to give the rookies, remember guys?"

It was as if a faucet had been opened and soon the six men were falling over each other to tell Bella stories of days gone by.

All through the rest of the afternoon and evening the stories continued and Bella learned that she was more like her father than she had ever known.

A bonfire was built and families sat around it and chatted. Bella sat with Carlisle, Esme and Edward as Charlie's friends told her stories.

He was just as socially inept as she was and apparently he could put a man down with one dirty look. It was also Charlie that had befriended each one of the men and in time he had pulled them all together into a ragtag makeshift family. Each man had a story to tell of how Charlie had wormed his way into their hearts. Garrett said that it was not one thing that Charlie had done intentionally, but that he had been like a magnet, drawing people to him, in spite of his quiet ways.

Esme shared a look with Carlisle as she heard that and she smiled at Bella, "Well then, our Bella is very much her father's child because this young woman has touched so many lives back home and nowadays when people come into my shop or phone the farm, they ask when Bella is 'coming home'."

Carlisle chuckled and shook his head, "You've put Bree's nose quite out of joint, Bells. She was complaining the other day that you receive more calls than she does!"

Everyone laughed at that.

A short time later the fireworks display was held and afterwards everyone began making their way back to their cars.

Bella hugged each man, surprising herself and the Cullen's. She thanked them for sharing their memories with her and she promised to keep in touch with each of them.

Edward had spent most of the day watching Bella interact with her father's friends. He had watched as she had them eating out of her hand within minutes of meeting them.

He watched as they followed her like a pack of overprotective wolves. He wasn't jealous, he was glad that another piece of the puzzle had been solved. Another piece of Bella's broken heart could now be healed and laid to rest.

He watched as each man hugged and kissed her good bye and made her promise to call, write or visit and he almost burst with pride when Bella invited them to visit her in her home town, promising to show them Vermont.

"So, you're a _'Vermontian'_ now?" Peter teased her.

Edward watched Bella give a half shrug as a smile spread across her face. She looked up and met his curious gaze before she looked back at Peter, "Of course I am. That's my home." She looked across at Edward, "That's where I belong." She finished quietly never losing eye contact with Edward.

After a moment she moved to say goodbye to Kate, Melissa and some of the other wives that she had met.

Edward was rooted to the spot. He couldn't move and thought that his heart would burst from the way it was pounding in his chest.

"Cullen!" Edward looked up to see Garrett, Tex, Vince and Peter standing in front of him.

"Yeah?"

Tex stepped forward, "Take care of our girl, you hear? If you hurt her, we'll come looking for you and _we know how to lose a body_…" The large man grinned evilly.

Edward had no doubt that the thinly veiled threat was not an idle one and he felt a shiver of fear.

"I don't intend to hurt her, but listen up; just remember it works both ways – you have a responsibility to not hurt her either, or else_ I_ will come looking for you!" Edward almost growled.

Vince flexed his shoulders as Peter opened his mouth to speak.

A small hand on Edward's back caused him to stiffen and he looked down to see Bella step around him until she was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips glaring at her four new friends.

"If you boys can't play nice, I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands and you really don't want that. Listen up; I appreciate this pissing contest as much as the next person, but I am a big girl and I don't need protecting from you. Edward is in my life, _he is my life _and that's the way it's going to stay, so either accept it and respect him, or we can just part ways now. It's up to you." She hadn't raised her voice but each man was struck by the steely glare of her dark eyes and the grim expression on her face.

They used to see it all the time on Charlie Swan.

After a moment of silence Garrett elbowed Tex and he mumbled an apology to Edward. The others followed and when they were finished Bella hugged them again and kissed their cheeks before they walked to the car.

Edward knew that he was positively preening and that when Jasper and Emmett found out that his lady had 'fought his battle' for him, he was never going to live it down, but he didn't care.

Edward grinned as he flung his arm around Bella's shoulders as they walked to where Esme and Carlisle were waiting for them, "You were so fucking awesome, baby! I can't wait to get you alone."

Bella stopped walking, "Finally! Thank heavens!" She exclaimed as she hugged Edward.

Edward wanted to ask her what she meant but the rest of the conversation had to be put on hold because they reached the car.

The drive back was quiet with Carlisle and Edward carrying on most of the conversation. It had been a long day and Bella dozed off for a little while.

"Did you have a good time, Darling?" Esme asked as they climbed out of the car.

"I had a great time – what about you? I'm sorry that I didn't spend too much time with you." Bella answered.

"Oh Bella, you are always thinking of other people! Today was about you and Charlie and finding your roots. Carlisle and I are just honored that you wanted to share this with us."

Bella looked at Esme and Carlisle with a slight frown, "Of course I wanted to share this with you! I just wish that everyone could have been here, because you guys are my family and I wanted Charlie's friends to realize that I'm more than okay. I'm not alone; I have a home and a family and friends. God only knows where I would be if it weren't for you taking me in and giving me a home and a chance when no one else would. I love you both."

Bella put her arms around them and Carlisle was quick to hug her and Esme to him as he looked over to where Edward was standing with the most tender and proud smile on his face. As father and son gazed at each other, Carlisle nodded at Edward. No words were necessary as Edward could feel his father's love and approval from where he stood.

After they disentangled from each other and said goodnight, Edward took Bella's hand as they walked to their suite.

The door was barely closed when Edward pulled Bella into his arms, "I am so proud of you Bella. You were magnificent today, love."

He leaned down and kissed her upturned mouth.

Bella made a sound deep in her throat that caused Edward to grind his hips against her stomach.

"Can you feel what you do to me?"

Bella gave a soft laugh, "Do you know how wet I am for you?" Bella countered.

Bella found her hands being held above her head as she leaned against the door. Edward's eyes were almost black and Bella could feel her pulse quicken and she stared into their inky depths.

"You have teased me all day long, Isabella, that wasn't very nice." He said quietly.

Bella wiggled her eyebrows at him, "It made me feel more than just 'very nice', Edward."

Edward's eyes narrowed into slits for a second before he growled, "Why you – I'll show you very nice!"

Bella let out a yelp and began to laugh as he swung her up and over his shoulder. She leaned down and smacked his ass and she yelled again as he reciprocated.

"You hit me! I should let the boys shoot your ass!" she said as she bounced on the mattress where he had tossed her.

Edward stood at the foot of the bed and grinned at her devilishly as he pulled his T-shirt off in one movement, "You wouldn't dare! You love my ass too much to do that! Don't think I don't see you checking out the goods, Miss Swan!"

Bella giggled before she quickly pulled her shorts, T-shirt and underwear off and flung them across the room. Edward couldn't take his eyes off her. She was tantalizing and he was completely captivated by her as she knelt naked in the middle of the bed with her hair flowing around her shoulders in wild abandon.

The soft glow of the bedside lamp accented the golden tan of her skin. As Edward's eyes combed over her, he saw her nipples harden into hard, dusky peaks and he couldn't help himself as he unsnapped his cargo shorts and pushed them down.

He watched with male pride as Bella's eyes widened at the sight of his thick, hard cock, which was glistening with pre-cum. The silver of his piercing glistened in the dim light and Edward growled deep in his chest as Bella licked her lips.

"I want to taste you." She said, lifting her eyes from his groin to meet his eyes.

Edward shook his head, "I want to be inside of you."

Bella moved to the edge of the bed before she stood up and walked to stand in front of him. Her eyes showed her love and desire, "I need to taste you; let me love you, Edward."

With a quick nod Bella dropped to her knees, her hands reached for his wide girth even as her mouth opened to take him in.

There was not teasing or preamble. Bella took as much of Edward into her mouth as she could.

"Fucking hell!" Edward exclaimed as he watched Bella hollow her cheeks as the most incredible sensation took hold.

"Bella! Fuck! Oh my…" Edward fisted his hands in her hair and he felt her pull his hips towards her.

With a huff his grip tightened as he gave in and began to fuck her mouth.

Bella moaned deep as she felt the silver ball tickle the back of her throat. She could feel how wet she was as she lapped at his hard penis and sucked him as deep as she could.

Bella had discovered that she loved to suck Edward off. It made her feel powerful and completely in control.

Bella protested as Edward stilled his movements and stepped away from her. He pulled her to her feet and leaned down to kiss her swollen lips passionately.

"You spoilt my fun," Bella whined as she pouted.

Edward pressed his hips against her and Bella gasped as his cock tapped her stomach, "The fun is only about to begin!" he said as he walked her backwards. And then they were falling onto the bed.

Bella giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist and she nudged her hot center against his tip.

Edward stilled as he lined himself up and he cupped his hand over her cheek. "Are you sure, my Love?" he asked quietly.

Bella smiled up at him, "Make love to me Edward. Let's celebrate life tonight."

Edward gave an imperceptible nod and then he was pushing deep inside her, filling her, loving her.

Bella held onto his shoulders as they stared into each other's eyes.

"I love you Bella."

"I love you."

Their coming together was slow and beautiful. Every muscle in Edward's body was screaming for him to just snap and pound into her, but Edward moved slowly and deeply; making sure that with every stroke Bella knew that she was adored; that she was loved; that she was his.

Finally Bella arched her back, "Please, please Edward, please. I'm so close, please make me cum!" She pleaded and once again he bent to her will.

Within minutes she was cumming and he followed a few minutes later.

Bella had never felt so satisfied or loved in her life. As the minutes passed, Edward shifted his weight off her but he continued to hold her in his arms, gently kissing her slightly sweaty skin. He buried his face in her neck, brushing the damp tendrils of hair off her forehead and cheeks.

Bella reveled in the feeling of being so close to Edward, even as their mixed seed ran out of her, she didn't move, except to snuggle even closer.

"I think that Charlie would have loved you, Edward Cullen and I think that it was he that brought me to Hope Springs in the first place." Bella said in the quiet night.

Edward smiled and he pulled back so that he could brace himself on his elbow as he stroked her jaw and smiled down at her.

"You do?" he asked.

Bella nodded, "Yeah, if he and I carry the same blood then, yeah, he definitely would have loved you, because I love you so much that sometimes I ache with love for you."

Edward pressed his mouth to her sweetly, "I think so too, sweet love. I think that Charlie and Renee are in heaven right now, smiling down on you, just bursting with pride at the woman that you are. I love you more than my own life, Love."

=====HS=====

The next two days passed all to quickly and Bella was elated that the farewell lunch that Charlie's friends had organized for her was at the Friday Front Row Restaurant at Chase Field. When she and Edward arrived, they had to change into the Diamondbacks T-shirts that the guys had bought for them, before they were led off on a tour of the amazing sports facility.

Edward laughed when Garrett gave him a hooded sweatshirt for Carlisle and Esme, who were visiting with friends of theirs for the morning and would be joining them later.

At the end of the tour, Bella spent far too much money at the memorabilia shop and Edward grumbled good naturedly that she had turned into his sisters as he carted the four huge bags to the car before they went up to the private function area.

The lunch was loud, fun and Bella's new camera that she had received as a birthday present was passed around the room and over a hundred photographs were taken.

Carlisle and Esme arrived and Bella burst out laughing when Esme walsed in wearing a Cubs T-shirt and Carlisle was in his Yankees T-shirt and cap.

The room erupted into thunderous boos and chants, while Edward shook his head and groaned, "I'm sorry, Love, but there is something that you need to know about us Cullen's; we are a house divided when it comes to baseball."

Bella raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

"You see, Mom and Bree are Chicago Cubs girls; whereas Dad, Em and I support the Yankees. And then there is Jasper who is a diehard Mets fan and Rosie is a Red Sox woman! Alice really couldn't care less but because everyone has to have a team, she went with the San Francisco Giants, even though she has never even been to San Francisco! So, you see, this can get real messy during the season."

The table had grown quiet as Edward had explained and when he was done, Peter shouted to Bella, "Hey Bells, it's time to 'fish or cut bait', kid! You need to pick a team and I say that you should be Diamondbacks all the way!"

Esme and Carlisle looked outraged and Bella shook her head and held out her hand for quiet.

Bella nodded, pretending to be all serious, "Well, then, I'm going to have to think about this, but I'm a twin city girl, having been born in Washington State and then living here and now in Vermont gives me a reason to support quite a few teams," she looked around the table and grinned, "but I will get back to you on who I support."

She laughed and tried to duck as she was bombarded with discarded paper napkins.

Tex stood up and cleared his throat. He was holding a brown paper bag nervously.

"Um, Bells, I um, well we," he stammered and then he flipped Torres, Bruno and Mickey off as they made 'kissy-face' sounds. "Shutthefuckup man!" he growled.

"Damn son, just get on with it!" Bruno barked out.

Tex looked at Bella and smiled shyly, "Well, we cleared out yours and Charlie's home, you know, after – and anyway, we all decided to keep some stuff for you, well here is the key to the storage unit." He reached out and dropped a key on a worn keyring into Bella's outstretched hand before he carried on talking.

"We check on it regularly and no one's fucked, sorry, I mean messed with it and you can go and check out and see if you want anything from there. Also, I went by there to get this for you. It was in Charlie's cederwood chest" with that Tex reached into the brown bag and pulled out what looked like a blanket but at second glance was a patchwork quilt of sorts. Bella's eyes grew big and she gasped, "I know that quilt!" she said.

Garrett laughed, 'You should. You used to take this wherever you went. Charlie said that your mom, Renee made it when she was pregnant with you and you loved it."

Bella smiled at Tex, "Thank you, Tex." She looked around the table, "I'm not one for speeches but thank you for welcoming me and my family so warmly," Bella felt Edward's hand on her leg and she looked across to where Esme was dabbing her eyes and smiled "You guys are really special and I'm sure that Charlie would be real proud of you; so thank you."

Soon after that it was time to say goodbye and Bella and Edward promised to visit over winter break if they could make it. She and the Cullens were flying out the next day and although Edward encouraged her to; Bella decided that she wasn't quite ready to open the storage locker just yet and so she gave her key back to Tex for safe keeping and he promised to go with her whenever she was ready.

He wiped a tear off his cheek as he watched her climb into the SUV and drive away. Torres, Vince, Mickey and Peter stood side by side as the car drove away.

Garrett cleared his throat and brushed his hand over his eyes. These men were his brothers and even though they gave each other a lot of shit, they had stood side by side through many things, including the death of their best friend.

Tex felt a hand on his shoulder and looked across at Vince, only to see him pushing his dark aviator glasses up his nose and sniffing.

"She's okay man; Charlie's little girl is okay." Vince said quietly.

"Yeah she is and Edward seems like an okay guy." Peter added.

Garrett nodded, "He'd better be; there is no fucking way that anyone is going to hurt that girl ever again; not on our watch."

Torres punched his fist into his open hand, "Did you hear about that piece of shit Rawlings? Seems like someone leaked that he is a baby molester to the other inmates… didn't turn out too pretty. I hear he's being shipped off to solitary for a year or so…"

Mickey grinned and shook his head, "What a shame…"

Peter sighed and put a hand on Torres' arm, "We may be a bunch of fucked up old men, but now that we found Bells, she's never going to be an orphan again!"

The other five men nodded and made their way back into the stadium.

**A/N: Well, what did you think? This was a long chapter to write and I was quite an emotional wreck at times, but I really enjoyed writing it. Please forgive me, but I hope that I got names and places correct – I did try.**

**So what do you all think of Charlie's friends and colleagues? Was the ceremony too much? **

**Talk soon,**

**Love,**

**Michele**


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**End of chapter 24-**_

_**Tex felt a hand on his shoulder and looked across at Vince, only to see him pushing his dark aviator glasses up his nose and sniffing.**_

"_**She's okay man; Charlie's little girl is okay." Vince said quietly.**_

"_**Yeah she is and Edward seems like an okay guy." Peter added.**_

_**Garrett nodded, "He'd better be; there is no fucking way that anyone is going to hurt that girl ever again; not on our watch."**_

_**Torres punched his fist into his open hand, "Did you hear about that piece of shit Rawlings? Seems like someone leaked that he is a baby molester to the other inmates… didn't turn out too pretty. I hear he's being shipped off to solitary for a year or so…"**_

_**Mickey grinned and shook his head, "What a shame…"**_

_**Peter sighed and put a hand on Torres' arm, "We may be a bunch of fucked up old men, but now that we found Bells, she's never going to be an orphan again!"**_

_**The other five men nodded and made their way back into the stadium.**_

**CHAPTER 25 – Moving on…**

Edward was happy to be home again, even though he was run off his feet at the practice. Ned had settled in well, and most of his father's patients were very accepting of the younger, serious man, but there were some stubborn elderly residents of Hope Springs, who insisted on being treated by 'a Cullen' and so it fell to Edward to carry the overload.

He and Ned quickly reached an agreement that Edward would extend his office hours while Ned volunteered to take their weekend duties.

That left Edward's weekends free to be with Bella. Not that he saw too much of her, because although she had already completed two summer courses before they had left for California, she left for college three days after their return from Arizona to complete another three courses before the new semester began.

Bella had been quite teary when she had said goodbye to Carlisle and Esme and Edward knew that it was because they were leaving for three months vacation in August. Bella had warned him that she would not have too much time on her hands in her sophomore year as she wanted to make up as much time as she could.

Fortunately for Bella, her two majors had some overlapping courses that helped to lighten her workload. Edward had driven to Johnson behind Bella to help her get settled in her room again. Although she had the opportunity to live on campus, she had decided to stay with Mrs. B. She loved her room at the top of the old house with her window seat and the old, polished wooden floors and her minuscule kitchenette.

Once all of her clothes and boxes were back in her room, Bella made up her bed with her freshly laundered linen. She put the comforter that she had brought back from Arizona on her window seat, while Edward unpacked the food supplies that his mother had packed. There were a couple of precooked meals that Bella could warm up in her microwave, as well as fresh bread and the makings for sandwiches, a couple of tins of soup as well as several containers of 'snack food'. There were freshly baked cookies, bags of jelly beans, tea, coffee and instant hot chocolate.

Esme had also sent a couple of boxes of fruit and vegetables that she had sent for Mrs. B to use in the house meals.

It didn't take long for Bella to finish unpacking her clothes, toiletries and school supplies while Edward flattened the boxes and packed them in the small storage area in the attic.

Bella looked around and it seemed as if she had never left, except now she had new photographs displayed in frames on her bedside table from her and Edward's summer vacation.

"What do you want to do now, Love?" Edward asked as he walked back into her room.

Bella smiled at him sadly. Her new course was beginning the next day and it would last for the full week. The following week she had two courses that would take up all of her time and then she had a week's break before the new school year began.

She still had to buy her new school books and she knew that once Edward left, she wasn't going to see him for the next couple of weeks.

Bella pouted as she walked across the room and slipped her hands around his waist, "I'm going to miss you so much, baby. I don't want you to go…"

Edward smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her jaw, "Aww love, you're killing me with that sad face! Come on, let's go and take a walk around the campus and then I'll take you for a great lunch and if you're a good girl, maybe we can come back here and fool around for a little bit before I have to leave." He said with an exaggerated leer.

Bella pushed her bottom lip out even more but she couldn't stop the giggle when Edward growled playfully and nuzzled her neck before he playfully smacked her bottom.

Mrs. B smiled as Edward ran down the stairs with Bella on his back, he winked at the older woman with a grin, "I'm taking my little 'sulky sue' out of your hair for a while, Mrs. B. Is there anything that you need from town?"

Mrs. B could feel herself blush as she shook her head and told them to have a good time. As the front door closed she went back into the kitchen to pack away the box of preserves that Bella had brought her.

She was going to miss Bella and her adopted family when she left but Mrs. B also knew that Edward and Bella's home town of Hope Springs was the reason that she was so driven to excel at school and to finish as quickly as she could.

=====HS=====

The campus was relatively empty because it was a Sunday and the only people on campus were visiting students that were taking summer courses.

After a while they went into the town and Edward took Bella to lunch as he promised, but instead of sitting in a restaurant, he ordered their food to go and they sat in a nearby park and ate their Chinese takeaways while they watched a few children playing as their parents watched them.

"I don't know how I'm going to get used to sleeping alone again." Bella commented quietly.

Edward sighed and he ran his hand through his hair.

"I know; it's going to be the same for me. Did you notice that Roscoe wouldn't even look at me this morning? Even when we were out for our run, he just acted as if I was just a tiresome necessity." He said sounding grumpy and Bella laughed.

"Sometimes I forget that he is in fact a canine and not a human."

"Ha! I remember that he's a dog when he has his hairy ass smack bang in the middle of our bed so that he can sleep next to you. He actually tried to kick me out this morning, the little shit!"

Bella laughed again, "Oh! Don't act so put out – you adore him!"

Edward grinned and rolled his eyes, "You're right; I don't know what I would do without that furry mutt in my life."

Bella put her chopsticks away and wiped her fingers off and picked up her soda as she put her head on Edward's shoulder.

"This summer has been amazing. Before we left I was so afraid of what was going to happen and what Charlie's friends would be like and whether they would like me or approve of how my life had turned out. I wouldn't have had the strength to do any of it if it wasn't for you being there for me. You have been so supportive without pushing me or trying to protect me." She straightened up and turned to face him, "I know that I'm putting undue pressure on myself to finish school and Dad gave me a lecture before I left, but I know that I can do this; I want to do this."

Edward searched her face and he was moved by how torn Bella looked. He knew that her heart was back in Hope Springs and that it pained her to be away from his family during the week, just as it hurt him. He straightened his shoulders marginally and cupped her cheek, "Bella, you don't have to justify your actions to me, love. I just want you to promise me that you will take care of yourself. If you are going to burn the candle from both ends then you are going to burn out quickly and we don't want that, okay?"

Bella nodded.

"At least make sure that you eat at least three meals a day; not snacks mind you, proper meals." She nodded again and bit back a sigh.

"And get as much sleep as you can. I'm not going to make you promise to be in bed by ten or anything that silly, but try not to push yourself every single night. Can you promise me that?"

As Bella stared into Edward's deep green eyes, she realized that she would promise him anything. She licked her bottom lip, "I promise." She whispered.

Edward smiled and kissed her, "Good girl. So Carlisle gave you a lecture, did he?" he said with a smirk as Bella sat back and rolled her eyes.

"I never realized what a nag your father was, Baby! I swear, he is worse than Esme, Alice and Rosie and you know that's almost impossible!" She pouted.

Edward laughed out loud, "Yeah, that's a pretty tall order."

They spent the next while talking about everything and nothing and by the time that they made their way back to the boarding house, Bella felt better about going back to classes.

After a three hour 'nap' which left them both very satisfied but barely clothed; Bella walked downstairs with Edward's arm around her waist.

"I will see you at home on Friday, alright?"

Bella nodded, "I'm going to go straight home so that I can spend some time with Mom and the kids."

Edward hugged her on the doorstep, "I will swing by after work. Mom invited us for dinner."

Bella took a shaky breath as she wound her hands into the hair at the back of his neck, "Your hair has gotten long." She said as she tried desperately not to think about him leaving.

"Hmm, I need to get it cut sometime. I have to go into Woodstock later this week so I'll just swing by a barber." He said as he tightened his hands on her waist.

Bella grinned, "You had better not let Victoria or James hear you say that! James will shave your head the next time you go in there!"

James and Victoria had owned the Wild Horses Beauty Salon for the past twenty years. They had met each other at beauty school, although James was first to point out that he was attending 'barber' school at the time. After finishing their internships, they had worked in New Jersey for a number of years with the dream of moving away from the city to move their family out of the city.

They had come across Hope Springs quite by accident, when during a weekend away, they had gotten lost and had ended up in the small town. It was love at first sight for Victoria and James and within six months they emptied their savings account, had sold their small apartment and along with their three small children they moved.

A small storefront shop was rented for the first five years but when James had been knocked over and left for dead by a driver who was drunk and high; they had purchased the building and had it modified to accommodate James' wheelchair. From a modest beginning of one wash basin and two small cutting stations, they now employed two additional stylists; a shampoo girl; and they had recently opened a spa treatment section.

James was tried hard to not allow the women from over running the shop with too many 'girly touches' and so his barber section was partially partitioned and instead of the black and pink theme that Victoria had wanted throughout the shop, they had compromised and it was a tasteful black and white with accents of silver.

Edward laughed, "Your right – I'll go and see James, but if Victoria tries to 'blow out' my hair – I am not going back!"

Bella giggled, "Vicky loves to tease you, baby."

Edward huffed loudly and then sighed, "I have to go and pick up Roscoe from Mom. I love you so much, Bella."

Bella couldn't help her sharp intake of breath but she blinked the moisture from her eyes and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Go on. Give Ross a hug from me, I love you too." She said brightly and gave his chest a playful push.

Like ripping off a band aid, Edward didn't linger and after another quick kiss he loped down the stairs and got into his truck.

He tried not to look in the rearview mirror but he couldn't stop himself and he felt his heart catch at the sight of her leaning against the door frame, with her arms wrapped around her waist as she bit her lip to try and stop the tears.

He had to force himself not to jump out of the car and pull her into his arms and spirit her back home with him.

"_She's going to be fine, she's going to be fine; she is going to be fine …" _he chanted as he ignored the burning behind his eyelids.

Bella wiped tears off her cheeks and turned to walk inside the house just as someone call out her name.

"Isabella! What a surprise!"

She groaned as she turned around slowly, "Professor Watson-Smythe, what are you doing here?" she asked not really caring that she as being rude.

Mark closed his car door and walked up the path towards her with a teasing smile creasing his good looking face.

"I was coming to say hello to my mum's college roommate – there you are, hello Aunty Beatrice." He patted Bella's shoulder as he walked past her to hug and kiss Mrs. B's cheek.

"Mark! I'm so glad that you are back! Have you given any more thought to my proposal?" Mrs. B asked him.

Bella felt a sickening lurch in the pit of her stomach. This did not sound good at all.

"Well yes and the answer is… yes!" Mark grinned confidently at Bella over the older woman's shoulder as he hugged her again.

"Oh Mark! That makes me so happy!" Mrs. B turned to Bella, "Bella dear this is my very dear friend Corinne's son, Mark. He's a professor at your school and he has agreed to rent the entire third floor suite from me! Isn't that great?"

Bella frowned; _no it wasn't fucking 'great'_ she wanted to scream. Instead Bella just made a non-committal 'hmm' sound and moved towards the stairs when Mark's voice stopped her.

"Isabella is one of my best students, Aunty Bea. Isabella? I would like to invite you to join us for dinner tonight as a way of getting to know my fellow housemates." He said.

Bella shook her head, "The rest of the boarders aren't back yet, and I really have a lot of work to do, so please excuse me. Good night Mrs. B." Bella turned and ran up the stairs to her room. She closed the door firmly and made sure that it was locked.

"Fuck me; this is just what I don't need in my life!" Bella growled out to herself as she walked across the room.

She climbed onto the window seat and stared outside. It was late afternoon and Bella watched as people walked their pets or jogged or cycled in the afternoon sunshine and she sighed.

She sincerely hoped that Professor Watson- Smythe moving in was just an unlucky coincidence. She felt uneasy as she thought of the way that he looked at her – almost as if he had a right to look at her like that.

_Fuck! He was her fucking teacher!_ And there was nothing that she could complain about because he had never been inappropriate with her in public.

"What am I going to do?" she mumbled and then she almost fell off her perch as someone knocked on her door.

"Who's there?" Bella asked. Even to her own ears her voice sounded defensive.

"Um, it's just me Bella dear."

Bella let out a sigh of relief and moved to open the door.

She relaxed even further when she saw that Mrs. B was alone in the hallway.

The older woman looked concerned, "Are you okay, Bella? You seem upset."

Bella let out a shaky breath and she licked her lips nervously. She loved staying in the boarding house and she knew that the self-contained apartment on the third floor would bring in a lot of money for the older woman. The apartment consisted of a kitchen, a separate sitting room, a large bedroom and a separate bathroom. There was another smaller bedroom that was fitted as an office.

"It's just… I was surprised to see my English professor here. He is my teacher and it just feels odd that I will be sharing space with one of my teachers. I mean, it's not really appropriate is it?" Bella said.

Mrs. B smiled, "Oh my dear, this arrangement will be fine. I've already spoken to Mark and he had assured me that he doesn't intend to spend much time in the common rooms at all and he is also aware that all of my other boarders are in fact students at Johnson."

Bella smiled and nodded.

Maybe she was just imaging things.

"Oh! Well, that's good." She said.

"Now, are you going to join us for dinner, dear?"

Bella shook her head, "I really do have a lot to do, but don't worry, Esme sent dinner for me."

Mrs. B smiled, "That Mrs. Cullen is such a wonderful woman! You are very lucky to have them."

"I know; they spoil me rotten!"

They said good night to each other and although Bella's anxiety was slightly appeased, she still felt uneasy.

Bella warmed up one of the meals that Esme had sent and she snuggled on the window seat and watched a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory marathon that was on television before she had a warm shower to relax. She double checked her door locks and after tossing for an hour, she got up and put one of the straight back chairs against the handle before she was able to fall into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning Bella felt foolish as she showered and dressed in a denim skirt, a tank top with a button down over it and tied in her waist. She pulled her hair into a high pony tail as it promised to be another bright summer's day. She made sure that she had packed her first completed assignment into her book bag before she slipped on her thong sandals and walked downstairs.

Mrs. B greeted her warmly and handed her the extra large travel mug full of mouthwatering coffee as well as a croissant filled with scrambled egg, bacon and cheese.

"Mrs. B; you are going to be nominated for sainthood, you know that?" Bella quipped as she put a bright orange peach into her bag with a smile.

Mrs. B laughed, "Oh Bella, you are such a treat. Will you be home for dinner? It's just us again, I'm afraid, so I was just going to make chicken salad."

"Chicken Salad sound perfect, thanks. I have lots of work to do for this course so I'll probably eat while I work tonight…"

A large hand brushed across the middle of her back as Mark walked into the kitchen, "Now that's no good for you Isabella, you need to relax for a few minutes." He said in a husky voice as he winked at her.

Bella had stiffened as she felt his touch and not she gripped her bag in front of her chest, with her mug clutched tightly in her hand. She glared at Mark but because she didn't want to upset her landlady, she just mumbled about being in a hurry and left quickly.

She took a few deep breathes as she sat in her car and she made sure that her seatbelt was on before she checked her mirrors and pulled out into the relatively quiet road and drove to one of the older buildings on campus where her course, _Classroom Management_ was being held.

The class was small with only twenty students and Bella thoroughly enjoyed the course. She wrote the final exam and knew that she should receive at least a 'B'. The lecturer was impressed with Bella's intellect and participation and she asked Bella what her plans were once she qualified.

Bella knew that the teacher, Maggie Powel was on the Education faculty at Johnson but she had never met her before. Professor Powel was very impressed with Bella and she was pleased to see that Bella was in two of her courses for the new semester. Maggie made a note to keep a special eye on Bella's progress throughout the semester and to assist her wherever she could.

The week raced by and Bella was happy when Friday rolled around and she had completed the first assignment for the course that she was taking the following week.

She was pleased to see that another student from her freshman year, Dash, who was an Arts Major, had moved off campus and he had moved in to the room next to Bella's. This had created a buffer between herself and Mark even though Mark had been obviously displeased with the younger man's familiarity with Bella.

Bella made sure that she left the dinner table with Dash and Mark had only managed to snag her alone once on the stairwell.

"Morning Bella, where's your guard dog?" Mark had asked her as he blocked her path on the staircase.

Bella glared at him impatiently, "Good Morning Professor, I don't have a 'guard dog' as you put it so eloquently, but if you mean Dash, then he's probably out already and if you will excuse me, I have to leave for class soon."

Mark smiled his most charming smile but he was pissed off to see that Bella didn't even look at him and so he huffed and grudgingly moved to one side.

As she passed by him, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "You can't run from me forever, sweetheart; I'm not going to bite you, you know."

Bella turned and glared at him, "I won't tell you again; I am _your student_ and if you carry on harassing me, I will have no choice but to complain about it to my advisor." Her voice was hard and cold and she left no room for error – she was _not_ to be fucked with!

Bella was on the road as soon as she had finished breakfast. Her first stop was to the bookshop where she picked up the rest of the books that she had ordered for the classes that she was taking. She had completed some classes for her sophomore year already and so she had picked courses that would get her one step closer to graduating as soon as possible. There was a lot of field work or classroom work that she had to complete in the coming semester and although she wasn't nervous about it, she was anxious to hear if she had been successful in her application to Hope Springs Elementary or Reading Elementary which was only a few miles away.

Thankfully both schools were on Johnson's list of approved schools who welcomed student teachers. Bella knew the head of HS Elementary and Alice and Rose's children were excited to learn if Bella would be 'teaching' their classes.

The farm was busy, with the summer harvest in full swing and the autumn harvest just around the corner and Bella was struck by the activity as soon as she drove up the long pathway that lead to the main house.

She quickly took her bags up to her apartment and changed into shorts, T-shirt and sneakers before she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and after she sent Edward a message telling him that she was home, she went in search of Esme and the children.

Surprisingly the kitchen was deserted when she walked into the main house and she checked her watch with a frown. It was midmorning and she wondered where everyone was.

Roscoe was sunning himself in the back yard and he welcomed Bella back with loud barking as he danced around her, trying to lick her face.

Bella crouched down and hugged him tightly, "Hello, Boy! I've missed you! They left you alone, did they? We can't have that, now can we? Come on, let's go and find your leash and we can go and look for everyone."

Roscoe panted happily. _His girl was home! More treats, sleeping in a real bed (or close to it in any case – if Edward didn't try and muscle him out!), lots of hugs and playing ball… life was looking up!_

Bella found one of Roscoe's leashes in the mud room and she walked to the staff kitchen and dining cabin.

Rachel was standing in the kitchen preparing lunch but she dropped the spoon as soon as she spotted Bella.

"Bella! Welcome home honey!" She gave Bella a hug and looked down at Roscoe who was giving her his cutest 'tilted head and doe eyes' look.

"I swear; he knows that I can't resist those expressive brown eyes." Rachel huffed and she pulled a bowl out of one of the cabinets before she ladled a couple of spoonfuls of shredded roast chicken and mushrooms into the bowl.

Roscoe followed her obediently to the front porch before he guzzled the tasty treat, and _that's how it's done!_ He thought with gleeful satisfaction as he saw one of the farm cats glaring at him from the porch swing. The cat hissed as Roscoe licked the bowl. He grinned at the cat, _amateur_, he woofed in reply before he lay down on the step and dozed off while his Bella visited with the 'food-lady' Rachel.

"Do you know where Esme and the kids are?" Bella asked as she and Rachel sat at one of the small tables and drank fresh _Summer Blend_ juice.

"I know that Esme left really early this morning because she had an early meeting with the team and as far as I know, she isn't due back today at all." Rachel said sympathetically.

Bella pouted, "Well that sucks! They are leaving in two weeks time and I was going to spend some time with them. Anyway, thanks for the juice. Do you need any help around here?"

Rachel shook her head with a smile, "Oh no you don't! You are probably already working that little ass of yours off and you should be relaxing, so don't get me in trouble for working you as soon as you get home!" Rachel pushed her out the door with a laugh, "You can come back for lunch if you want to, but you are not working in the kitchen – now scoot!"

Bella grumbled as she picked up the end of Roscoe's leash and she decided to take a walk into town and she ran up to her apartment to fetch a bottle of water, her sunglasses and her wallet.

Bella and Roscoe made several stops on their way into town.

They met Sue and Billy Black who were working just walking out of Don Cope's small plant nursery, _Garden Grows, _and she stopped for a chat before walking on.

Before long, she came across Lauren Atera with her and Emery's latest addition to the family, baby Jason, Angela Yorkie and Emily Uley as they sat in Angela's front garden, under the large live oak and sipped iced tea as they gossiped. Bella was invited for a drink and she took a seat in the shade as she was brought up to speed on all things pertaining to Hope Springs.

Lauren leaned forward, "Did you hear that June Morrow and our delightful Doctor Davis are almost shacking up together? It's disgusting! Someone should warn him about her!" she said with a sneer, while Emily rolled her eyes at Bella.

"Oh come on Lauren, don't pretend that you are much better than her; none of us are squeaky clean! If I remember correctly; you and Emery got pretty friendly in the _church car park_ on Friday night youth, and wasn't your father called in one time when you sat up wearing only your bra and panties after old Sherriff Bob tapped on the steaming window?" Emily grinned as Lauren blushed angrily.

"Yes, but – at least I didn't try and steal other people's boyfriends! Ask Bella what she has been up to!" Lauren said with her cheeks glowing pink. She glared at Emily who she had known since Kindergarten.

Three pairs of eyes turned to Bella as she took a sip of her drink before she looked at them with a shrug, "What? Don't look to me for answers; I haven't seen Ned or Edward yet. Look, the Morrow sisters may not be my favorite people in the entire world, but besides the verbal spat that I had with June at the karaoke evening; they haven't done anything to me personally."

Lauren gasped at Bella, "But, but, what about the 'thing' between Rosalie and April or was it August? I mean - you're supposed to be a 'part' of the Cullen family, so you should stick up for your family, Bella!" she looked from Emily to Angela for confirmation before she glared at Bella.

Bella knew that Lauren was a gossip and while she loved a good story as much as the next person, she did not believe in bashing someone's character if they were not there to defend themselves.

Bella shrugged as she put her empty glass onto the tray. She ignored Lauren's comment as she said her goodbyes to the other two ladies. Lauren was sulking and she barely acknowledged Bella's goodbye.

Angela walked her to the sidewalk, "Don't worry about Lauren, Bella; you know what she's like…" Angela muttered apologetically.

Bella smirked, "Now you know that she doesn't bother me. Just don't take her shit. If she gives you problems for talking to me; tell her to find me instead, okay?"

Angela laughed as she patted Roscoe's head, "I will see you later, Bells."

Bella laughed as she walked away. She sighed as she thought about the conversation and she wondered if she was being disloyal to the Cullen's by not 'hating' the Morrow sisters the way that the other women in town seemed to.

Bella was so deep in thought that she didn't see the large truck pull up a little ahead of her, nor did she sense the way that Roscoe wagged his bottom or the barked greeting, until Edward stepped directly into her path and she jumped back and gasped, "Son of a -! You almost gave me a fucking heart attack, Edward!" She screeched as she hit him with one fist even as she fisted his shirt and pulled him towards her with the other.

Edward warded off her small fist easily as he chuckled gleefully before he gripped her hips and pulled her into his arms.

Bella squealed and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck as he peppered her lips, jaw and cheeks with kisses and Bella giggled in delight.

"Edward" Bella said breathlessly and she buried her face into his neck before she took a deep breath. The pine, spice, woodsy scent immediately calmed her and the longing that she had felt all week disappeared.

Finally, she was home.

"Jeez babe, it took you long enough to walk to town!" Edward said as he lowered her to her feet and opened the door of the truck.

Bella rolled her eyes, "Well, have you ever even tried to walk through this town, Edward? Someone has a story to tell or offers you the most delicious drinks or snacks and it's time consuming!"

Edward chuckled, "I've missed you my Love. With your sweet tongue and charming personality."

Bella giggled, "Reverse psychology is never going to work on me, babe, don't you know that by now?"

"Get in the car and I'll take you to the diner for lunch – come on Roscoe. Why don't we see what scraps Jess and Mike have for you, okay?"

Roscoe wiggled his bottom in response. He climbed into the back seat of the double cab with a smile – _his 'boy' knew just how to make him happy!_

Bella and Edward chatted as he stopped his car in front of the diner. It was just past noon and Hope Springs was busy. There were mothers dragging children to shops to get school supplies from Hope Springs Convenience Store and Embry was standing in the doorway, looking quite harassed as Bella and Edward waved to him, with Roscoe tugging impatiently on his leash – he could smell the delicious smells coming from the diner, the butcher, the bakery, and further down the road, the pub – _yummy!_

"Rather him than me, that's for sure," Edward muttered as he took Bella's hand.

She looked over at Alice's shop and tugged on his hand, "Babe; I have to go and say hello to Alice and Mack. They are quite likely to hurt me if I don't!"

Edward smiled, "Now, do you honestly think that the family isn't waiting for you inside?" he said with a smirk as he pointed through the large window.

Bella laughed as she saw Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper all pulling faces at her through the glass and she pulled Edward through the doors quickly.

"BELLS!" Emmett shouted and everyone began to call out greetings to her and Edward.

Bella moved as quickly as possible towards their table and mock glared at the four of them, who were now laughing at each other's 'funny face', "What are you – like five? I swear, Brady is more mature than you lot!" She growled.

Emmett clicked his tongue and pulled her down next to him, "Aw come on Bells; admit it – you missed us fugly freaks!"

"Speak for yourself! We are gorgeous, right sis?" Rose looked at Alice who nodded, "Damn straight, Cullen!"

Edward walked over to Jessica and pointed down at Roscoe. Jess laughed at the twin pouts on master and his pet before she sighed dramatically and held out her hand for Roscoe's leash.

Edward murmured his thanks and walked over to the table while Roscoe followed Jessica obediently to the side of the shop, where there was a run for her two rescue mutts, Higgins and Bailey. They barked out a greeting when Jess let him off his leash and he headed over to where they were resting under the shade of the bright colored beach umbrella that human Mike put up for them.

The paddling pool was in the sun and Roscoe could see various chew toys lying about. He enjoyed visiting with the two dogs, even if they weren't pedigree breeds and they didn't know who their parents were.

The three dogs sniffed each other in greeting before the youngest of them, Bailey, picked up a stick and tossed it to Roscoe.

Roscoe grinned at him and made a run for it down the side of the shop, with the other two dogs on his 'tail'. They played tag for a bit and then they all took long drinks of the cold, fresh water that Jess brought out for them, along with three large, meaty bones.

_Heaven_, Roscoe thought, _pure heaven._

=====HS=====

Lunch at the diner was filled with laughter and noise and more than once, Jessica threatened to throw them out. Jasper just laughed and asked if she wanted to make a complaint, which everyone found hilarious of course.

Bella found out the Esme and Carlisle had decided at the last minute to take the children to Boston for the weekend as Carlisle had an early consult with one of his colleagues early on the Monday morning and they thought that it would be fun to spend some time with the grandchildren before they left for the next three months.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were ecstatic that they could look forward a children free weekend and although Bella was sad that she was going to miss having the time with Esme and Carlisle, she had to admit that she got a little excited when Jasper and Emmett leaned across the table and stared at each other before they turned to look at Edward silently.

Bella frowned because it seemed as though they were having a silent conversation with each other.

"Soooooo – shall we?" Jasper said cryptically as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Emmett nodded enthusiastically and poked Edward across the table, "Come on Eddie, what do you say?"

Edward sighed and rolled his eyes but Bella could see the sparkle in them and before he could say anything, Emmett punched the air, looking like a demented version of Rocky, "Yeah! Road trip!"

Alice and Rose clapped with glee as Bella looked from one to the other, "What's 'road trip' mean?"

Emmett bumped her hip with his and grinned down at her, "Road trip, my dear sweet Bella, means that we are off to Montreal for the weekend!"

"What? But what about the house? And Bree? And what about Roscoe?" she asked quickly.

Rosalie explained that Brianna has gone to a friend for the weekend and Edward interjects that Roscoe would be happy to spend the time with his 'friends'. Apparently Jess and Mike loved having him over.

Bella looks up to see that five people were staring expectantly at her, "What?"

Jasper snorted, "Come on Bells; we all know that you've got Eddie's balls in your purse. So if you say 'no', then he's out. What do you say?"

Bella looked across at Edward and she could see how excited he was. She still wanted to mess with them for a bit so she hung her head and let out a heavy sigh, "Hmm, I don't know… I've got to finish this assignment, you see."

There was not a sound from the table but Bella could sense the disappointment in the air. She looked up with a small grin on her lips, "Buuuut, when you put it that way – okay, let's go on a road trip!"

Jasper and Emmett high fived each other while Rosalie and Alice began talking really fast, deciding on what to pack, and where they wanted to stay, while Bella and Edward stare at each other with smiles on their faces.

"Well played, Miss Swan," Edward said as he lifted his soda towards her.

Bella nodded and lifted her glass up to meet his, "Why thank you Doctor Cullen. I do try and keep you on your toes."

Edward sat back as Mike brought over a tray overflowing with burgers, fries and deep fried onion rings.

The rest of the meal was taken up with plans and phone calls as Jasper and Edward made sure that their businesses were covered by Ned and Eric.

They decided to leave by four that afternoon. Alice went online on her phone and within minutes she had booked three suites at the Hotel de la Montagne, which Rosalie assured her was the right place to stay when there were no kids around and where the Cullen's often stayed when they visited the city.

They agreed that they would spend the following morning and afternoon playing tourists so that Bella could see the 'sights' before they would go out to dinner and a club.

Bella got excited when Edward waved goodbye to his siblings and they all arranged to meet at the hotel that night for dinner at nine o'clock, which would give them all time to check in and freshen up.

Edward had a word with Mike and Jessica and he and Bella said goodbye to Roscoe, who made sure to ham it up by giving Bella sidelong, woefully sad eyes and he even threw in a few whimpers for good measure. He explained to his two friends as they watched Roscoe's master lead his lady away as she wiped tears off her eyes, that his pathetic behavior, while embarrassing, would ensure that he received a good amount of gifts and treats from his 'charges' when they returned. He explained that he had almost an entire closet full of treats, toys, balls and various chew toys from their recent trip away.

Edward tried to assure Bella that Roscoe was going to be just fine as he drove first to his house, where he packed as quickly as he could, while Bella put a bag of Roscoe's favorite toys and a tin of treats together.

The next stop was Bella's apartment and Bella packed a couple of outfits but left some space because Alice and Rosalie had threatened to make her buy more luggage when they took her shopping.

Edward checked the main house and placed a call to Paul to let him know that they were leaving for the weekend so that he could keep an eye on the main house as well. He also called Bree and then he called Pastor Craig where she was staying for the weekend.

_He still couldn't believe that his parents were allowing her to stay in the same house as her boyfriend, the little bastard, as Edward and his brothers now called him, or Riley to everyone else – even though his father was the local minister and a good friend. _

_Edward was well aware of what teenagers got up to and Emmett used to have a thing for 'good girls' in his youth and he had turned many a 'good' girl into a wanton slut, but no amount of arguing on his part or on the part of his brothers could change his parent's minds._

_The close relationship that he and Bree had always enjoyed had become strained over the past few months and he was looking forward to taking off with her and his brothers in two weeks time, just before school began._

_His parents were leaving just before and everyone had thought that it would be the perfect time for some sibling bonding. _

_After hunching over some of their old hiking maps and trail journals, they had unanimously decided to hike and camp the Glastonbury Mountains section of the Appalachian Trail in the Burlington region. They would be gone for five days because even though they would usually cover that distance in two and a half days; they had left plenty of time to rest, catch up with each other and to enjoy some down time together. _

_Carlisle and Esme had enjoyed many camping trips over the years with their friends, extended families and children. Esme and Carlisle had hiked the Long Trail twice from South to North, and then for their fifteen wedding anniversary, they had hiked the Appalachian Trail from start to finish._

_Being such an active family was a blueprint for many happy shared memories and Edward was hopeful that being away from everyone and everything, including the little bastard, would bring them closer together again._

_Being only one of two girls in the family meant that Bree had learned to hike, fish and shoot hoops almost before she had learned to walk. She ice-skated like a pro and her baseball skills were more than average. Esme had always worried that she would turn in a real tomboy, but that was before Alice and Rosalie had joined their family. Although both women hiked as well; they did it with more luggage than all of the Cullen's put together!_

Bella brought Edward back to the present as she tapped him on the shoulder. After a shared kiss, Edward made sure that Bella had her passport and they loaded up her bags before they left for Montreal.

One of Bella's most favorite things about entering Canadian space was when she found out that Edward was completely fluent in French and she could barely keep her hands to herself until they checked into to their suite.

As the door closed, Bella growled and pushed Edward towards the bedroom, "All bets are off, _Monsieur Cullen_!"

Edward's eyes widened before they grew dark and he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit a number as he walked backwards.

"**Em, yeah, we're gonna run late for dinner…" he disconnected the call and tossed his phone onto the sofa as he grinned at Bella, "Maintenant qu'est-ce que la jeune fille voudrait de moi?" He said in a husky whisper as Bella blushed and giggled.**

Hours later, Bella stood on her and Edward's private balcony that overlooked the hip and 'pumping' Crescent Street in Montreal. They had just returned from a late dinner at the wonderful _Restaurant Newtown_, which was a wonderful mixture of fine French and Québec Cuisine at its best.

Bella had just changed into the tiniest pair of bright blue boy shorts and she had teamed it with a matching tank top. She had pulled her hair up into a very messy bun.

Edward's warm hands slid around her stomach and Bella shivered with delight as she felt his bare chest press up against her as his lips nuzzled her neck. Bella could feel the thin cotton of his sleep pants brush against her bare legs.

"Hey baby," he murmured.

"Mmmm," Bella hummed.

"Are you ready for bed?" Edward could not wait to get her inside.

She had been taunting him all night long in the sexiest grey and black cocktail dress with the most awesome fuck-hot heels! Her long legs teased him for hours and when she danced with Rosie and Alice on the tiny dance floor of a small club that they passed on the way back to the hotel, Edward thought that he was going to pop a blood vessel in his dick and his brain!

"Can we just stand here for a few minutes longer?" she asked quietly and Edward pulled her back more firmly against him.

"Of course. Did you have a good time tonight?"

Bella nodded before she turned around in his arms and Edward could see the excitement and happiness rolling off her in waves. Her eyes sparkled, her skin was tinged with a pink, "Oh hell, it was amazing! Montreal is fantastic! I just wish that we had more time here! I want to see everything and go everywhere! Thank you so much for bringing me!"

Edward laughed as Bella climbed up his body and wrapped her legs around his waist as she peppered his face with kisses.

"Thank you for (kiss) all this (kiss) affection (kiss)." He laughed again as he dodged her lips, "Come on, let's take this inside. I really don't want to put on a show for the good people of Montreal!"

Only then did Bella hear the wolf whistles from the street below and she waved as she grinned cheekily and Edward carried her inside and secured the balcony door before walking to their bedroom and lowering her onto the bed.

Edward stared down as Bella lay back on the pillows. Her hair was fanned out in a dark silky curtain and she had lifted her arms to rest above her head. A smiled curved her red lips and Edward watched as her eyes shone with love and passion.

His heart had never felt so full before. Every time he thought that he couldn't love Bella any more, he just ended up falling even deeper in love with her than ever.

Suddenly he was right there, hovering over her, his almost black eyes glittering with emotion, "I will never get tired of telling you how much I love you, Bella. I'm so thankful that you didn't make it all the way to Canada without me."

Bella lifted her arms and cupped his face in her hands as she recognized the emotions that were brimming over, "I will never get tired of hearing those words from you and I am blessed that you found me in the gazebo all those months ago. I love you."

Edward gave her one last look before he lowered his head and their lips sought each other's. They moved slowly, savoring each caress, each touch. They spent hours showing how they felt about each other with their bodies, softly whispered words and heated touches.

In the small hours of the morning, they fell into a contented, sated sleep, still wrapped in each other's arms.

The next day passed in a whirlwind of activity. Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Edward had been to Montreal many times before, but they thoroughly enjoyed putting on their comfortable shoes, breaking out the cameras and the tourist maps and taking Bella on a guided tour off all of their favorite places in the city.

After Bella watched her companions draw straws for who was going to be '_Tommy Tour guide' _first, Jasper won and soon they were off to the Montreal Biodome. Next was Emmett's choice and so they went on a tour of the Olympic Stadium, after which it was Edward's turn and they went to see Mount Royal, with a promise to go back the following day to see the drumming performance of the Tam Tams.

After a quick lunch and bathroom break, Rosalie and Alice shooed the guys off and they took Bella to the Underground City, where they shopped for hours until Bella phoned Edward and begged him to save her.

That night, they went to one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city before Emmett pulled out tickets that he had managed to secure for a new club that had just opened up.

Night turned into morning, and the three couples found a small eatery open at five the next morning where they ate croissants with pancetta and wild mushroom omelets and copious amounts of tea and coffee.

Once back at the hotel, Bella and Edward decided to sleep and when they woke up a few hours later and showered, it was time for lunch and then they made their way to Mount Royal's Cross, where they enjoyed the drumming rhythm of the Tam Tams which Edward explained was a regular attraction in Montreal during the summer months.

After the concert, the couples said goodbye to each other and Edward promised Bella that he would bring her back for a longer stay.

Bella slept for some of the drive home and after Edward had fetched Roscoe, he and Bella scoffed down a couple of pieces of toast, while Roscoe ran around the backyard. They were showered and asleep in bed shortly after the sun went down.

Esme and Carlisle invited everyone to dinner a couple of nights later and announced at dinner that they were leaving for their vacation one week after school began, around the twentieth of August.

Edward would move into the main house with Bree and Roscoe, which would make it far less disruptive for the teenager as she settled into her sophomore year in high school.

Most of their holiday was fairly laid back with the first part of their holiday being spent travelling though Europe ala backpack style. Thereafter they were going to Thailand and onto Australia before they made their way to Hawaii.

Bella's nightmares began that same night.

**A/N: Hmmm – what nightmares? I'll tell you what's been a nightmare for me and I'm sure many, many other readers and authors – this 'Salem witch-hunt that's going on right now! That's a living freaking nightmare! So ladies, I'm here (on ) for as long as I'm here and I am also on THE WRITERS COFFEE SHOP. I am thinking of posting somewhere else as well, but not sure where yet. So if you read me on FFN – please put me on alert on TWCS for now – you just never know (I am ****peoplelikeus**** over there). I'm sure that PLU will be pulled at some stage…..**

**Hang in there, okay? This too shall pass… Okay, enough of that for now. I love you all and thank each one of you for your reviews and thoughts.**

**TRANSLATION: "Now what is it that the young lady would like from me?"**

**Please let me know what you think? Fee – you are an angel; thank you for being in my corner.**

**Love and hugs until next time,**

**Michele (justginger/ffn – peoplelikeus/TWCS)**


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_Bella slept for some of the drive home and after Edward had fetched Roscoe, he and Bella scoffed down a couple of pieces of toast, while Roscoe ran around the backyard. They were showered and asleep in bed shortly after the sun went down._

_Esme and Carlisle invited everyone to dinner a couple of nights later and announced at dinner that they were leaving for their vacation one week after school began, around the twentieth of August._

_Edward would move into the main house with Bree and Roscoe, which would make it far less disruptive for the teenager as she settled into her sophomore year in high school._

_Most of their holiday was fairly laid back with the first part of their holiday being spent travelling though Europe ala backpack style. Thereafter they were going to Thailand and onto Australia before they made their way to Hawaii._

_Bella's nightmares began that same night._

**CHAPTER 26 – Mama said there'll be days like this….**

Bella spent much of her time with Esme, Carlisle and the rest of the family the following week before she headed back to school to complete the final summer course before the new semester began. She knew that they were leaving a week after the school year began, which happened to be just before Brianna's fifteen birthday and the thought of them not being in the main house saddened and frightened her.

Bella began to have nightmares a few days before she left for Johnson. At first she thought that it was just nerves or tension and she was able to wake herself up before she disturbed Edward.

After three days, she was reluctant to even go to sleep. Of course Edward noticed her avoidance tactics and he called her out on it. Rather than admit that she was having an issue with his parents leaving, Bella picked an argument and for the first time in a while, she slept at her apartment alone.

Except that she didn't sleep. Instead she sat in her window seat and stared outside. Truthfully, she was even too afraid to think of her dreams and what they could mean. _Were they a premonition? Were they a warning?_

Each dream began the same way.

_She was in the meadow behind the main house. It was the night of her birthday party. At first everyone was there, laughing and joking. The balloons waved in the gentle breeze and Bella could hear the sound of the children playing._

_Suddenly, it was quiet and when she looked around, everyone had disappeared. The night turned dark and foreboding as heavy clouds rolled over the moon._

_In the distance she could hear Esme and Carlisle's voices, and Bella began to call for them, but the further into woods that she ran, the further away they seemed to be._

_Again the scene changed and this time she was standing at a graveside, holding the folded flag. Instead of just one coffin, there were two…_

Bella shook herself out of the dark memories and found that her cheeks were wet. She wiped her tears away and stood up, groaning as she unfolded her stiff body.

She was being silly!

Instead of trying to sleep, Bella decided to spring clean her small apartment and by the time that the sun began to rise, every ounce was sparkling clean. Bella had washed her bedding, vacuumed and dusted each room. Her bathroom had been cleaned and all of her closets had been cleaned as well. She had even packed out her warmer clothes to air so that when the cooler weather began, she would be ready.

After her umpteenth cup of coffee, Bella ate a quick breakfast of toast before she packed up her small car with her belongings.

As she closed the car door, she heard Edward drive up and park behind her. She didn't look up as he opened his door.

Roscoe jumped out of the truck bed and raced over to her. Bella knelt down and hugged him tightly.

"Sorry that I left you last night, boy. I just needed some time alone." She whispered into his fur.

Roscoe whined and licked her hand lovingly before he bounded around the side of the house.

Bella stood up slowly and turned to face Edward.

Edward had hardly slept at all the previous night.

For most of the week he knew that something was wrong with Bella. She whimpered in her sleep and a couple of times she had begun to cry before she would wake up gasping as if she had forgotten to breath and then he would hear her walking around downstairs for ages before she climbed back in beside him. He would feel her small body trembling as she curled up against him.

What pissed him off was that she wouldn't talk to him. Even his family had begun to see that something was wrong. The dark shadows under her eyes, the tears that didn't seem far away, the forlorn look that he would see in her eyes – all indicated that something was troubling her, but when he asked her, she would deny that anything was wrong.

The previous evening, they had had a quiet dinner and they were taking a walk around the common when Edward had decided to ask her what was worrying her.

He was shocked at her response.

Bella had turned on him and before he knew what was going on, she was screaming at him that he didn't understand her, that she needed space and he was crowding her and that she was going home!

Edward and Roscoe had watched with his jaw on his chest as Bella ran across the lawn towards his house. Three minutes later she came barreling out of his front door and she had jumped into her car and sped away without looking back.

Edward had cursed up a storm as he stalked back into his house, almost slamming the front door off the hinges.

After changing into his running clothes and taking Roscoe for a long run, until Roscoe lay down in protest and Edward walked the rest of the way home.

He phoned his father that night and asked him to check to see if Bella was home. Carlisle was as concerned as Esme at Bella's distant behavior but he urged Edward to have patience.

That night he played his piano for hours before he walked up to bed. He hated being home without her. The house that he had loved and had felt comfortable in for the past few years seemed empty and too big without Bella in it. He could see evidence of her all over.

A forgotten school book on the table in the sitting room; the potted bright Gerber daisies on the kitchen window ledge; her underwear in the hamper; her toothbrush in his bathroom; her sponge in the shower; the novel that she was reading on the table next to where she slept.

Now Edward walked slowly around his truck to stand in front of Bella as she stood up.

He bit back a curse at the darkened shadows beneath her eyes. Her face was pale with lack of sleep and he could see the distress and exhaustion etched into her face and eyes.

"Oh Bella! What is going on, Sweetheart?" he asked tenderly as he reached out slowly to cup her cheek.

Bella's eyes filled with tears as she allowed herself to lean into his touch for a moment.

With a muffled cry, Edward pulled her into his arms. Instead of fighting him, as he had thought that she would, Bella fisted his T-shirt in her hands as she buried her head against him.

He felt her body tremble and his arms tightened.

Edward held her as Bella struggled to get herself under control, but the more she tried, the more she could feel the sobs of anguish building up inside her until Edward's hand ghosted down her head and she felt his lips pressing down on her head.

A loud sobbing cry broke loose and it seemed that once the dam had broken, there was nothing that Bella could do to stop it.

Racking sobs roused Esme as she was out in her vegetable garden, picking fresh greens to go into a salad for the roast lunch that she was preparing.

She dropped her basket and ran around the house only to find Edward sitting on the dirt driveway hold an inconsolable and babbling Bella.

Esme met Edward's worried gaze over the top of Bella's head.

Nothing that she said was making any sense and Edward could only make out snippets of her words.

"…going to die! It's my fault… all alone again… leave me…."

"Get dad and Jasper." Was all he said and Esme didn't hesitate. She flew into the house, calling urgently for Carlisle as she dialed Jasper's number.

Alice answered and Esme didn't even greet her before she told Alice to get Jasper over to the house immediately.

"Is it Bella?"

Esme's heart hammered as she answered softly, "Yes. Tell him to hurry."

Esme quickly explained the situation to Carlisle who had been working in his office.

Carlisle walked outside and assessed the situation. Both he and Jasper had been waiting for something like this to happen.

Bella had been tense and distant ever since he and Esme had returned from Boston. At first Esme had wondered if Bella had been angry that they had gone away without her, but Carlisle had quickly nixed that idea. Bella's behavior reminded him of when she had first come to stay on their property.

She would keep herself apart from them, but would look on their bantering and conversations with longing.

Jasper had brought it up a few mornings before and he had told Carlisle that he thought that it had to do with the abandonment issues that Bella was harboring.

"Bring her inside, son." Carlisle told Edward.

Edward whispered nonscense words of assurance as he lifted Bella into his arms and carried her through his parent's house to his father's office. Bella's fingers were white as she held him even tighter as if she was afraid that he was going to leave. He sat down on the old sofa in the corner with Bella on his lap and heard Jasper's footsteps in the hallway.

Jasper walked into the room a few minutes later, carrying a bottle of water and a cup of tea.

Carlisle closed the office door quietly and the two men took the arm chairs facing the sofa. Edward rubbed Bella's back gently.

Finally the tears that had drenched his shirt stopped and Edward felt Bella's finger relax slightly.

He brushed her sweaty hair off her face that was red and puffy from crying. Her eyes were almost swollen shut. He took the box of tissues that Carlisle had given him and handed her a few.

"Bella, Love, will you talk to us and tell us what's going on?" He asked quietly.

Bella stiffened momentarily before Jasper spoke up, "Bella; you are safe here. You know that. Nothing can hurt you here, Honey. It's just Carlisle, Edward and I and we just want to help you to work out what is upsetting you so much. Please can you talk to us?"

Bella lifted her head with a sigh and blew her nose before she slowly looked around. Her eyes settled on Edward's and he was sad to see them fill with tears again.

"Hush, love. No more tears, okay? I love you. We love you and there is nothing that you could ever tell us that will change that. Do you understand, Love?" Edward brushed a thumb under her eye and he caught a lone tear.

She looked over at Jasper and he smiled at her before he held out the bottle of water which she drank from thirstily before she put it onto the table.

Next she slipped off Edward's lap, but kept one of his hands clasped tightly between her hands.

"I'm," she cleared her throat that was sore from crying, "I'm sorry for causing all this drama."

Carlisle shook his head, "No apology is necessary Bells. This is what family is for; we are here in the good times and the bad."

Bella nodded but said nothing until she realized that they were waiting for her to talk.

"I, um, I've been having nightmares…" she whispered so quietly that Carlisle and Jasper had to lean forward to hear her.

Bella noticed that no one seemed surprised and she wondered if she had been as stealth as she had hoped.

"Are your nightmares always the same?" Jasper prodded quietly.

Bella nodded.

"Are they about the baby?" After Bella's miscarriage she had some bad dreams surrounding the baby and that terrible night.

Bella shook her head. No.

Edward opened his mouth but closed it when Jasper shook his head at Edward slightly. His eyes spoke to Edward plainly.

_Let me lead this._

Edward nodded back and he sat back as Jasper began to narrow the reasons for Bella's meltdown.

"Are the nightmares about Charlie? Or Renee?"

Jasper caught Bella's hesitation before she answered, "I don't think so." She whispered.

There was a moment's silence as Jasper waited and it wasn't long before Bella looked across at him sadly, "I think that it was about… um, Essie and Doc." She almost chocked on their names as she glanced apologetically at Carlisle.

Bella didn't know what she was expecting, but none of the men said anything or showed any reaction other than to nod in encouragement.

Bella sighed and she picked up the cooling tea and took a sip before she began to tell them, haltingly at first about what she remembered of her dream.

She had to stop several times before she finished talking to wipe her fresh tears or to take a sip of water or tea to gather her thoughts.

Finally she sat back, her hands were sweaty as she held Edward's hand almost like a shield over her chest and she kept her eyes on Jasper, almost afraid to look at Edward or his father.

"I'm just worried that something's going to happen to you."

Jasper's next reaction startled her. He looked over at Carlisle and smiled before he looked back at her, "Would you like to speak in private or do you want Carlisle and Edward to stay?"

Bella bit her lip, "Can they stay? Is it b-bad?" she asked. Edward winced as her nails dug into his skin.

Carlisle noticed and smirked at him.

_Asshole._

Jasper chuckled for the first time and Bella felt herself sag with relief.

"No, Bells it's not bad. All that your mind is telling you is that you are afraid of Esme and Carlisle being away for so long. You feel safe knowing that they are here at home, waiting for you, if you will and now that they are leaving, you are having separation anxiety. If you break down your dream into separate scenes, you will realize that there is nothing sinister about them. If anything, they are a warning to your mind that you are worried about something that you need to talk about and deal with. Remember; dreams are just an outpouring of what's going on in your subconscious – which you are not dealing with too well or that is making you anxious. Dreams are an outward pouring of what's going on in your heart."

Jasper sat back and let his words sink in.

Carlisle got up quietly and came to sit on the other side of Bella. He put his arms around her and hugged her firmly.

Bella rested her head on his shoulder as she felt tears leak from her closed and sore eyes.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered.

Carlisle only held her tighter, "We could not love you more if Esme had given birth to you Bella. I cannot promise that nothing will happen to either of us, but I will promise you this; you will always be a Cullen and you will always be a part of this family and I will do everything in my power to bring Mom home safely to you."

Bella swallowed a sob as Carlisle put a voice to her deepest and darkest fears.

Once she had calmed down again, Jasper immediately gave her some 'homework' to do and he made her promise to call either himself or Edward or his parents if her dream reoccurred – no matter time of the night it was.

Carlisle had slipped out of the room and he quickly explained to Esme that they would not be going to the morning service at church.

When his office door opened, Esme was ready; she opened her arms to Bella as she walked into the kitchen and hugged her quietly before she sent Edward and Bella home so that Bella could get some sleep before she left for school.

As Bella lay on her bed, securely wrapped in Edward's arms, she tried to apologize for ruining their day but Edward was quick to brush her apologies to one side.

"Never apologize for being honest, love. I just wish that you had spoken up before, because then you would have had some rest. Sleep now, sweet love." He kissed her forehead and Bella fell asleep.

She ended up sleeping for almost the entire day and with very little coaxing, she phoned Mrs. B to tell her that she would go directly from Hope Springs to class the next morning.

=====HS=====

Bella was pleased that the course that she was taking for the following ten days was based off campus in Montpelier. Bella was sad that she was not going to be going home as this particular course had both Saturday and Sunday classes in order to finish on time.

Before she left, Esme had come over with freshly baked muffins and a travel mug filled with fragrant coffee. She had kissed a sleeping Edward and left just after six.

Bella felt calm and well rested as she drove towards Montpelier with her music blaring. Her course was being held at the Montpelier Wellness Centre. The subject was _Educational Psychology_ and it was a subject that really interested her.

Bella followed the directions on her GPS and soon she pulled up at the large brick building. She was early and so she sat in her car, sipping her coffee and scrolling through the messages on her phone:

_**Break a leg, Sister! Love Em**_

_**Don't listen to him, Bells – enjoy your day and call me later. Xoxo Rose & kids**_

_**Don't work too hard this week, love Mom and Dad**_

_**I missed you this morning, Love. I love you – have a good day and I will talk to you later. E xx**_

_**Have an awesome day, Bells! We miss you like crazy, Honey. Love us (the best looking Cullen's!) – if you still don't get it – Alice, Jasper and the kids **_

Bella chuckled even as she blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall. She loved her family! Even if they were crazy, Bella thought with a smile.

Bella spent a few minutes reading through her homework and the course content before she skimmed over the first few chapters of her text book, until a tap at her window startled her.

A young woman perhaps a little older than Bella stood at her window. Bella rolled the window down, "Hey there, are you taking the Ed Psych. course?" She asked.

Bella nodded. The woman was pretty with short blonde hair cut in a bob. She had hazel eyes that sparkled with life.

"Oh! That's great! Me too! I mean I'm in that class as well. I'm Candice." The blonde chirped and Bella thanked Mrs. B again for her coffee jolt.

Bella smiled as she opened her car door and made sure that she locked her car carefully before she turned and smiled at the other girl, "I'm Bella."

Candice smiled, "It's nice to meet you Bella. Where are you from?"

"Um, I live here in Vermont in a small town about two hours south of here." Bella said as they began to walk towards the building.

"Really? You don't sound like you are from Vermont. I'm from Louisiana myself. I just couldn't wait to come here for the summer. Where do you go to school?"

"Well, I'm originally from Arizona but, um, I'm at Johnson State College here in Vermont." Bella said.

Candice wrinkled her nose, "You don't like moving too far from home, do ya? Now I couldn't wait to get as far away from my home town as possible, I go to Florida State. What year are you in?"

Bella smiled at the speed that Candice changed the topics of conversation, she reminded Bella of Bree in a way.

"Um, yeah, I'm going into my sophomore year and you?"

Candice waved her hand as she laughed, "Well, I was undecided until a few months ago and I only declared my major and applied to the Teachers program and so I'm really behind and I had to take a crock load of courses this summer and I'm still short on credits! What about you?"

They found the small room where the course was being held and they greeted the lecturer before they found seats near the front of the class. Bella didn't care what anyone thought of her. She found it least distracting when she sat in the front row or as close to it as possible. She concentrated better and she had found that if she concentrated in class, her memory seemed to retain most of the material and studying only reinforced what she remembered. Edward had commented more than once about her amazing memory and he had even suggested that she had a photographic memory.

Bella put her bag on the desk and turned to answer the easy going Candice, "I'm trying to get ahead on credits. I want to go home to my family as soon as possible and even though I see them every weekend; it's just not the same thing."

Candice sighed, "You sound like you are in love, girl."

Bella could feel herself blush, "I am. My boyfriend is at home waiting for me as well and I hate being apart from him." Bella confessed with a roll of her eyes.

Candice grinned, "Wow, you have it so bad…" she said and then she was interrupted as the lecturer called everyone to order.

Bella found the course to be as stimulating as she had hoped for and the time flew by. Thankfully the boarding house began to fill up again during the week, and Bella left early in the mornings and returned to eat dinner in her room after the dinner hour and so she was saved from seeing Mark at all.

Bella spent the last week before school began taking stock of both Esme and Alice's shops and marking down items for the end of summer 'sidewalk' sale that was due to take place that weekend. Each store owner set out trestle tables outside their stores where they sold their wares. The small festival coincided with voting a new mayor in, and Edward was thrilled when his announcement to not run again was met with very few protests.

The voting went as planned and Carlisle Cullen became the new Mayor of Hope Springs. That evening there was a large pot luck dinner and picnic on Dorset common and Bella sat on the blankets with the women as the men and the children participated in a game of 'own rules baseball'.

Jasper, Emmett, Edward and Brianna had gone camping and Bella was glad to be kept busy by all of the activity in town. She had dinner with Esme and Carlisle before Alice, Rosalie and the children arrived on her door to take her 'camping' in the woods behind the house.

Everything was fine until it began to rain and one by one the adults and children made their way back to the main house.

The next morning Carlisle and Esme took photographs of the women and children sleeping on their sitting room floor.

They were teased unmercifully by the guys and Bree when they arrived home that afternoon and they made plans to go camping in a group over the Labor Day weekend.

Edward teased Bella that night as she lay warm and satisfied in his arms and he admitted to her that her idea of the brothers spending time with their young sister had paid off because they were closer than ever. Bella had noticed how affectionate Bree had been with her brothers during dinner. Instead of sulking at their constant ribbing, she had sassed them back and when she went to bed, she had hugged each one with genuine affection.

"I love our large family, but I will admit that it was good to bond with my siblings after so long." Edward's voice rumbled as they lay in the dark.

Bella pressed a kiss to the middle of his chest before she leaned her chin on her hands that were flat on his chest, "You are very lucky to have each other."

Edward ran his fingers through her hair as he smiled down at her, "I'm lucky to have you." He said before he pulled her closer and his lips found hers.

Before long Edward was poised above Bella once more, his eyes almost black with desire, "I want to bury myself deep inside you."

Bella tilted her hips as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her heels dug into his buttocks as she growled, "Do it then!"

Edward's hands gripped her hips as he undulated into her waiting wet heat.

"Oh my God! Edward!" Bella shouted as she felt every inch of his cock as he set an almost punishing pace. He would withdraw almost all of the way, so that his piercing teased her hot channel before he pumped his leaking dick back into her relentlessly until his balls slapped against her butt cheeks.

"Fuck, Bella! You are so damn tight. Fuck, baby, move your hips, that's it! Hold it just like… agh!"

Several minutes later Bella felt herself begin to tremble as she felt the spring that had being tightening inside her snap back and she screamed as her orgasm ripped through her. The tightening of her walls milked Edward until he followed closely behind her.

Esme and Carlisle were leaving during the following week and so it was with a sad heart that Bella walked into their kitchen the next afternoon to say goodbye.

School was starting up again and Bella didn't think that she would be able to come home before they left.

Bella had spent time over the preceding days talking over her feelings and fears with Esme, Carlisle, Edward and Jasper.

She understood her fears better and she could see how irrational her fear was, but that did not stop her heart from pounding erratically as she hugged Esme first and then Carlisle.

The three of them stood in the middle of the kitchen as Carlisle made sure that Bella had the latest hard copies of their itinerary, as well as the details of their accommodation and flight bookings, including phone numbers.

Jasper had suggested that just as they were leaving all of their information for the rest of the children, they should do the same so that Bella would feel as if she had some sort of control and power over the situation.

"We will phone you often okay? And we are going to send you postcards and we will Skype every Sunday. We love you, Bella." Esme said quietly.

Bella tried to be strong as she kissed them one last time, but she almost ran from the house, and stood gasping for breath next to her car until she felt a hand on her back.

"Slow, deep breathes, Bella." Edward put a paper bag into her shaky hand.

"There we go, remember to breathe slowly and hold it – aaand breathe out. Good girl, again, sweetheart." He kept one hand around her, resting on her stomach as he stood close behind her so that she could feel his chest moving in and out against her back.

A few moments later and Bella was breathing calmly once more.

Edward brushed his lips against the side of her face, "Better?"

Bella took a shaky breath and nodded. She turned around to face him, "Thank you, Baby. I kind of lost it there for a minute, but I'm okay now." She said as he carefully searched her face.

"Are you sure?"

Bella nodded, "Yep, I need to get a grip on reality. They aren't leaving forever. It's only for a few months. It's not like when you left, you know?" Edward frowned. He hated being reminded about what a dick he had been and he couldn't believe that he had run away from this girl that had captured his heart.

"Hey," he said softly as he held her in his arms, "I was the asshole. I should never have left you the way that I did and I thank God everyday that you forgave me. I will never do that to you again, and neither will my parents. Esme and Carlisle don't make promises that they don't keep love. Remember that they gave you the keys to the house? They would never have done that if they didn't trust you just like they trust the rest of us."

Edward laughed, "They probably trust you a lot more than they trust Em, Jas or I!"

Bella laughed before she kissed Edward sweetly and promised to call him when she got to the boarding house.

Edward stood in the driveway and watched as Bella drove down the tree lined dirt road. When he couldn't see her any longer he turned only to find his parents standing behind him.

Esme looked concerned, "Is she alright?"

Edward nodded, "She is getting better, Mom. You know that she has to work through this so that she doesn't fall apart every time one of us goes away or every time she leaves for school. Jasper said that it's the only way that Bella is going to realize that not everyone in her life is going to abandon her. I know that it's hard, Mom, but…"

Esme glared at him and rolled her eyes, "You don't know anything Edward! That girl needs us…"

Edward looked at his father for help, "That's ridiculous Mom," he said with exasperation, "Bella needs to realize that she can cope with you leaving! That's what Bella needs!" His voice rose at the end and he saw Carlisle cock an eyebrow in silent warning.

Esme glared at him for a moment and his voice softened, "Sorry, I know that you are worried about her, but our girl is strong. We are all going to be fine, Mom, I promise."

Esme nodded and she tried to hide the tears that gathered in her eyes, "If you need us, do you promise to call?"

Carlisle smiled as he put an arm around Esme. She had always been a strong and vibrant woman, and she ran the farm with an iron fist. It was very rarely that she showed her vulnerability to anyone except him.

Edward leaned down and kissed his mother's cheek, "I promise, Mom. You and Dad deserve this time together. You have both worked hard all your lives and you have given us more than enough; so now it's your time." He whispered.

Esme nodded, "Thank you, Sweetheart. I needed to hear that!" She looked sadly down the now deserted driveway before she turned and put an arm around Carlisle's waist and one around Edward and she turned towards the house, "Who is up for some delicious Victoria Apple and Fudge pound cake with fresh Ginger Beer?"

Edward met Carlisle's amused gaze over Esme's head as they both groaned and Edward sniggered, "You know, Esme, there is a weight limit on the plane…"

He yelped as Esme swatted his ass and ran into the house ahead of them.

Carlisle tightened his arm on her small shoulders as he pressed his lips to her temple, "I love you, my Darling." He murmured quietly.

"I love you," she answered before she pulled away from him and she shouted at Emmett to take his fingers out of the fudge sauce that she had made to go over the children's homemade ice-cream.

=====HS=====

Things became frantic in the Cullen house, with Brianna starting her sophomore year of high school and Esme relinquishing control of the farm to her management team, the shop to Makenna and her house to Edward and Brianna.

Tempers became frayed and a few nights later, Carlisle was in his study as he hid away from the eruption on the first floor between Esme and Bree – again.

"_YOU ARE RUINING MY LIFE! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY RILEY CAN'T COME OVER TO STUDY WITH ME IN THE AFTERNOONS! I AM NOT A BABY!" _

Slam!

Carlisle winced as he heard Bree burst into noisy tears.

Seconds later he heard the sound of Esme as she stormed out of their room, across the first floor landing and then there was the sound of a door being banged open so hard that it hit the opposite wall.

He put his head into his hands and groaned.

"_BRIANNA CULLEN! I PROMISE YOU THAT I WILL GROUND YOUR SKINNY ASS FOR THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS IF YOU SHOUT AT ME AGAIN! YOU KEEP THIS UP AND I WILL STOP YOU FROM SEEING THAT BOY EVER AGAIN!"_

Carlisle decided that it was time to intervene as this was going downhill fast.

He took the stairs two at a time just in time to see his wife race past him, cursing like a sailor and the next thing he heard was their bathroom door slamming shut and the locking of the door.

He raked his hands through his hair and walked towards Bree's room. Bree glared at him with hot tears streaming down her face, "She hates me! I don't know why you ever had me, if she hates me so much! Sh-she t-t-took myyy phone! And I HATE HER!" she screamed before her door slammed and he heard the lock turn.

Carlisle walked into their suite to see clothes lying around in piles. He thought back to how this latest argument had begun:

_Esme had been busy packing when Bree had informed her mother that she and Riley had been teamed up to do a science project together and that they were going to work together over the coming weeks at the Cullen house as it was quieter._

_Esme had refused and to top it off, she had phoned Riley's mother and insisted that Bree and Riley be supervised with they were together._

_That's when Carlisle had tried to intervene, and that was his first mistake. Both women turned as one to glare at him after he uttered the fateful words, "Simmer down, ladies…"_

_Esme was faster, "Simmer down? SIMMER DOWN? Oh it will be just fine when we come home to a grandchild, won't it? Then you can tell me to 'simmer down'!"_

_Carlisle felt as if his head was going to explode, "What?"_

_Bree glared at her mother and then her father, "Are you going through 'menopause' mom? Because I think that you have lost your ever loving MIND! Seriously? Seriously! Just because you were fast and lose, does not mean that I am the same!"_

"_Brianna!" Carlisle knew that he was losing control of the situation._

"_GO TO YOUR ROOM!" _

"_NO! I didn't do anything wrong!"_

"_Fine! I'll go to my room!"_

"_I'm going to follow you!"_

"_Brianna, I promise you, I will take you out!" Esme growled and he swore that she snapped her teeth together in warning as Brianna scoffed at her and she was hot on her mother's heels with a loud, "What-ever! I'm sooo glad that you won't be here for my party!"_

"_That is IF you even have a party!"_

"_OH MY GOSH! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"_

_It was at that point that Carlisle had escaped to his study._

He pulled his mind back to the matter in hand and spent the better part of the next hour trying to coax first Esme and then Bree out come out and talk to him, but neither would budge.

Eventually he threw his hands up in dismay and drove to Alistair's pub to have dinner, which Esme had not yet cooked and hopefully a stiff drink, which he desperately needed.

Alistair took one look at the doctor's bedraggled and defeated appearance and he waved him to a table in the back garden, where Edward was drinking a beer and reading a magazine.

"Hey Edward, this man looks like he could use some 'man-time'." Alistair said as he pulled out a chair for Carlisle.

"Hey Dad – shit! You look terrible, what's the matter?" Edward asked as he took in his father's unusually wrinkled shirt, his hair that stuck out in every direction and the old, faded, 'house-only' jeans that he was wearing. Carlisle would never normally leave home looking anything but neat and tidy.

Carlisle managed to throw Edward a grimace before he ordered a single malt whisky with ice and a generous serving of Galway Pie and a garden salad.

Edward's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. There was only one thing that would drive Carlisle out of his home for a drink and dinner – his sister and mother.

"The girls fighting again?" he asked.

Carlisle shook his head, "I swear Son; those two are impossible! They get nasty as anything! At least with you boys there were no hidden agendas or 'emotional issues'." He ran his hand through his hair as he took a deep sip of his drink and leaned forward and lowered his voice, "I swear to God, I would rather deal with ten boys than two menstruating, emotionally charged women!"

Edward burst out laughing. It was not often that he saw the great man himself ruffled by anything, but to see Carlisle almost afraid to go home was hilarious! He was pleased that he had text his brothers and he smirked when he saw them walking out to the table.

Carlisle narrowed his eyes as Emmett clamped his hand down on his shoulder and he glared at Edward, "Little fucker; you told them didn't you?" he growled as Jasper sat down next to him and Emmett sat next to Edward.

Alistair wasn't far behind with a large jug of draft beer, more glasses and another whiskey for Carlisle.

He lowered his somewhat bushy eyebrows at the 'boys', "Now you boys don't give your old dad a hard time, you hear? He looks like he has his hands full with the two Cullen women up at the house!"

"How did you know?" Carlisle asked.

Alistair chuckled, "Carlisle, my friend, I have tended bar long enough to know the look and believe me," he looked over his shoulder and bent closer, "Mak gets a little, um, 'unreasonable' at certain times, so…" he yelped in terror as a small hand slid around his back.

"What are you guys whispering about?" Makenna said playfully.

She was rewarded with five matching looks of fear, guilt and embarrassment.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Alistair blustered, which only made Makenna more suspicious.

She stood back and crossed her arms over her ample breasts. Makenna found it amusing that while most men loved to check out her ass in her low riser jeans and her tits in her skimpy tank tops, the Cullen men didn't ever give her more than a cursory glance.

Carlisle sighed sadly, "You know, Makenna, you may just be who we need here to give me some insight into the madness that I just left behind."

Makenna smiled sympathetically before she turned to her husband, "Why don't you check on Carlisle's dinner order and bring some Stuffed Potato Skins and some Calamari Chips to the table? Everything's under control inside and we can just take our break now?"

Alistair nodded and Emmett hummed happily at the mention of his favorite appetizer. Makenna's Stuffed Potato Skins were legendary, as the insides were scooped out, mashed with sour cream and topped with bacon and cheese and topped with more sour cream. The Calamari Chips were exactly that – strips of calamari, seasoned and deep fried and tossed in salt and lemon juice to make the best French fry calamari strips around.

Makenna pulled off her half apron and sat down adjacent to Carlisle and everyone made small talk until Alistair returned with the huge serving of Alistair's mother's recipe of Galway Seafood Pie, which included scallops, muscles and crab cooked delicately and covered in amazing flaky pastry. The result was filling and mouthwatering without being heavy and Carlisle's mouth watered in anticipation.

Emmett rubbed his hands together as one of the servers helping Alistair put two enormous platters with the Potato Skins and the Calamari Chips on the table and he wasted no time in blowing on a potato skin and trying to eat it without burning his mouth.

Alistair set his and Makenna's dinner on the table with a large glass of water for Makenna and a soda water for himself.

The table was silent except to Carlisle's hums of appreciation and Emmett's sporadic comments of 'I need a second wife' and 'Rosie won't mind if I bring you home, honest!'

Halfway through his dinner, Carlisle began to tell his sorry story. He tried not to join in the laughter as he described the way Esme and Bree had ended up turning on him as they fought, but in the end it felt ever so good to have a good laugh, even if it was at his expense as he described scurrying out of the house as he had timidly asked what was for dinner and was met with a shriek of disbelief from Esme and an "_You are thinking of food – now?"_ from Bree.

As the laughter died down, Carlisle wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and looked around, "I tell you, I need to record that shriek for the next Halloween party! The children will never come back!"

Jasper straightened up and chuckled, "Well then, you probably are glad that you didn't hear Alice this past week when Brady decided to 'water' his mother's prize roses by peeing on them – in front of the Volturi wives who happened to stop by to look at a catalogue for some more over priced furniture from Rome."

"She phoned me a few minutes after they had left and I swear, the birds took flight! All I heard was … 'and come and fetch your son!' Needless to say, I was there in minutes, lights blazing. I walked in only to see him walking around the front yard with his cowboy hat, T-shirt, sneakers, holster, toy gun and his 'other toy gun' hanging out! He had ditched his shorts somewhere along the way. He was completely unfazed by his mother's rant and I had to take him down to the station with me for the rest of the day!"

Once the dishes were cleared and only Carlisle, Edward, Alistair and Makenna were nursing fragrant glass mugs of Irish coffee, Makenna leaned forward and smiled at Carlisle.

"You know, May-May and Bree are just acting out their fear at being apart for so long. They will get over it and everything will be fine. You'll see." She said with calm assurance.

Carlisle snorted, "I suppose this is my own fault for marrying a redheaded Irishwoman and having little red-headed Irish babies!"

Edward protested good naturedly, while Mac laughed aloud, "Tell me about it! You know that Alistair can blow the roof off when he loses his temper but he is all blow and bluster and then it's all over. I used to cower in terror when we first got married and you know that I ended up in your spare room more than once, but now I just let him rant and ignore him until he settles down. What's really funny is watching him argue with himself – that's a hoot!"

Edward stood up with Carlisle, "Come on 'old man' let's drive you home." They paid the bill and Edward drove Carlisle back to the farm.

"How's Bella doing?"

"She's thrown herself into her schoolwork and is probably pushing herself again, but she hasn't had another nightmare and she even Skype's at night!"

"She's not coming home this weekend is she?"

Edward shook his head, "No. She wants to settle into her courses and get a head start on her homework, so she'll be back for Bree's party next weekend."

The two men sat in the car outside the dark house. After a moment Carlisle spoke again, "Edward, I just want to tell you how proud your mother and I are of you and the man that you have become. Take care of our girls while we are gone."

The men hugged and Edward felt his father kiss his forehead, "Thanks Dad that means a lot. I won't let you down."

Carlisle tiptoed into the house and took his jacket and shoes off in the mud room. As he walked past the sitting room he saw Esme curled up on the sofa. He walked over and saw the faint trace of tears on her cheek.

"Essie, come on Darling, it's bed time." He whispered as he picked her up bridal style.

Esme opened her eyes as she felt movement around her. Carlisle lowered her into the bed and her arms tightened around his neck, "I'm sorry that I am such a lunatic." She said.

Carlisle smiled, "You are my lunatic and I adore you – hey what's all this?" his gaze went from amused to concerned as he watched tears gather in Esme's green eyes.

"I'm going to miss them all so much. Are we doing the right thing?" she asked in a small voice.

Carlisle lay over her and brushed her tears off her cheeks with his thumbs, "We are all going to miss each other but it is the very best thing for you and me. We have given our children the very best of our lives for the past thirty-five years and now it is time that we begin to give the best of ourselves to each other, don't you think?"

Esme nodded slowly, "You are so damn smart. How I get so lucky?"

Carlisle slipped his finger underneath the thin strap of her satin nightgown, as his eyes grew dark, "We both got lucky. We found each other, remember and I love you more than I ever thought possible. You are a great mother, Baby, and you are an amazing woman. Are you ready to see the world with me and have nothing more to do than to make love to me every day for the next three months?"

Esme reached out and began to unbutton his shirt before she slipped her hands over his warm skin, "I am more than ready…"

=====HS=====

Bella shed a quick tear when Esme and Carlisle phoned to say goodbye, but otherwise she was really enjoying being back at school.

She loved being challenged by most of her new courses and the only black spot on the horizon was the fact that Mark Watson-Smythe was still hovering around her every chance that he got. Bella didn't give him much of a chance though and she was really pleased that the boarding house was fully booked and she had become friendly with most of the students. The house itself housed eight students, excluding Mark in the attic apartment. The basement apartment had been converted into a self-contained garden apartment for Mrs. B. She had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small kitchen, a sitting and dining room as well as her own private garden off her sitting room. The ground floor of the house held a common room/sitting room, a library/study, the large dining room that could seat at least twenty people and the large and airy kitchen.

During the week, some of the students gathered in the sitting room to watch sport or movies on the flat screen or they enjoyed a drink and a chat. Mrs. B. was quite relaxed about the students socializing, as long as there were no overnight guests and that all noise stopped by eleven at night.

At the end of the first full week of classes, Bella was invited to a party down the street, which she was about to turn down until she saw Mark staring at her with interest.

"Hmm, that sounds nice, thanks." She said to Dash.

Dash pushed his dark blue hair out of his face and nodded, "Cool – we can all go together, yeah?"

Bella stood up and gathered her bag, "Great, I'll see you at seven?"

Dash stood up as well, "Six; the gang wants to eat at that Indonesian restaurant first."

Bella waved a general goodbye to everyone as she and Dash walked outside.

"Um, Bella? What's the problem with Professor A-hole?"

Bella frowned, "What do you mean?"

Dash shook his head, "Let's walk and I'll tell you along the way." He said just as the front door opened and Mark walked outside.

Dash rolled his eyes and he took Bella's arm and they crossed the road.

Mark smirked at her as he walked past and he climbed into the cherry red sports car that he drove.

Bella shook her head as Mark took off amid a squeal of tires, "Idiot!"

Dash looked at her, "I'm not the only one that has noticed that you leave the room whenever he walks in to it. Or you only seem to eat with us if you sit as far from him as possible – is he harassing you?"

Bella sighed and shrugged, "Not really; I mean, he hasn't said anything but he just..." she looked at her feet and then up at Dash again, "he makes me feel uncomfortable. Or maybe the better phrase would be that he unnerves me. He just – watches me all the time and…"

"And he looks at you like you're something to eat!" Dash finished for her and they smiled at each other.

"Right! I, I hate it, but I'm not sure what to do about it. I mean I have told him twice that I will not tolerate any inappropriate behavior from him." She said as she adjusted her backpack.

"You've got some field work this semester, don't you?" Dash knew this because he had begun dating Bella's friend and classmate, Casey and he knew that Casey had just been accepted to a kindergarten in Burlington, where she was going to be working for two weeks.

"Yeah, I've applied to a school in my town and two others close by; One in Woodstock and one in Reading, the next town over. I'm just waiting to hear from them." As they got to the lecture hall where they could see Casey waiting for them Bella turned to Dash, "Listen, thanks for your concern, but please don't say anything about, well you know. I'm sure that it's nothing and I'm just being paranoid."

Dash hid his frown as he smiled and walked over to greet Casey with a kiss.

Bella walked inside and found her seat in the lecture room. Thankfully the classes that she was taking for her English Major were quite large and Bella felt safe amongst the many students.

Mark had not singled her out for any attention and he had kept his comments on her assignments professional for the most part, with only one or two personal comments tacked into the margin that Bella steadfastly ignored.

She called Edward before she went out that night and he was happy that she was going to be having some fun instead of studying all weekend.

Bree was busy putting their dinner onto their plates as Edward put his phone back into his pocket.

Bree had decided to have her birthday party the following weekend, so that Bella could be there as well and that night Riley was away at soccer camp and she and Edward were having a 'movie night'.

"What's Bells up to tonight?" Bree asked as she added a stack of French fries to the coleslaw and pork short ribs that they were having for dinner.

Edward picked up the two bottles of water that he taken out of the fridge and together they walked out to the back patio.

Roscoe lay down next to Bree knowing that out of the two, she was the most likely to feed him tidbits from her plate.

"She's going to a party with her group of friends."

Bree raised her eye brows, "Wow, Bella's going to a party? That's big – well, I'm glad that she's going to get a little of the 'college experience'."

"Yeah, she works so hard and I worry about her. I want her to have fun and experience the good things in life before we – well, you know, before she settles down in this one-horse town with boring me." Edward said and gave a dismissive laugh.

Bree shook her head, "You are so silly sometimes, Eddie! Have you ever thought that just maybe this 'one-horse'; sleepy town is _just_ what Bella craves? She could have left a long time ago, days after she arrived or as soon as she had made some money from working in the shop but she didn't. She stayed, and I don't think that she only stayed because she had an old cot to sleep in, either. She fell in love with you; with us and with this town." She rolled her eyes and picked up a short rib, "You really don't see yourself clearly do you?"

Edward didn't say anything and they ate in silence for a few minutes. He put his knife and fork down and picked up his water.

"So; how did you get so damn smart?" he asked playfully.

Bree snorted, "Yeah, well, you'd think that after the three of you, I would either be a delinquent or the village idiot, wouldn't you?"

They laughed as Edward said that between him and Emmett they had those positions filled.

Bree's smiled dimmed, "I know that you feel as if you were the 'black sheep' and the rebel because you got your tats and those piercings," Bree wiggled her eyebrows and Edward blushed slightly and cursed Emmett and Jasper's big mouths, "but you are someone that I am very proud to call my brother, Edward. I know that I don't say that very often, but I really do know how blessed I am to have a family like ours. Mom and Dad are wonderful parents – they have so much love to give, you know?"

Edward nodded, "Even when you and mom are scaring dad out of the house?"

Bree giggled, "Oh my word! You should have seen how terrified he looked! He scurried downstairs like the hounds of hell were after him!"

Edward laughed and wagged a finger at her, "By all accounts; they were!"

Bree winked at him, "As I was saying, they are great and having you, Jazz and Emmy as my brothers is great. It doesn't even matter that you are all so much older than me," she bit her lip as her eyes twinkled, "hmm, old men, really… HEY! Edward, NOOOO!" She squealed as Edward leapt to his feet and pounced on her, tickling her on her sides as she squirmed and screamed for mercy.

"I'll give you _old_, missy!" He growled as he let out an evil laugh.

Roscoe sat up and stared at the people – he hoped that they didn't forget that he needed more treats.

By the time that they were finished, they were laying on the lawn in a heap. Bree giggled again as Edward's fingers ghosted over her arm and she brushed her long auburn hair from her face, her green eyes sparkling with happiness, "I love you, big brother and I think that you are the very best thing that has ever happened in Bella's life." She said softly.

Edward rolled over and sat up. He looked down at the woman/child. She was such a perfect mixture of Carlisle and Esme. She had Esme's heart-shaped face, auburn hair and green eyes and his father's chin and mouth. Edward's heart hurt a little at how quickly she was growing up.

He sighed and tapped her nose, "I love you too Squirt and if that Riley kid ever hurts you, well we both know how that will end!"

They stood up and brushed off their clothes before walking back inside with their dishes, with Roscoe training behind them, ever hopeful.

In the kitchen Edward cleaned their plates, making sure that he saved some scraps for the dog while Bree put everything away.

"So, we are having your birthday dinner at Alice's tomorrow night. Are you ready for that?"

"Sure; are you ready to have Sherri and Caitlyn sleeping over?"

Edward groaned and Bree punched his arm as they made their way into the sitting room to watch a movie.

"I have no problem having your friends sleep over as long as they don't run around in their underwear and you girls aren't up until all hours giggling."

Bree rolled her eyes, "Why on earth would we run around in our undies?"

"I know you, Squirt and you are like: '_oooh make yourself at home – no don't worry, that's just my brother, he won't care…_" Edward said in a ridiculously high voice as he wiggled his hips and flapped his arms around.

Bree laughed, "Thank heavens you are not gay, Eddie, you would be the worst 'queen' around!"

As Edward was climbing into bed that night, his phone rang and he grinned when he saw Bella's photo flashing.

"Hey Love, how was the party?"

"It was okay. We went to dinner first and then to the party, or 'kegger' as it's called." Bella was sitting on her window seat staring out at the quiet street.

"Did you have fun?"

Bella sighed, "It was okay, I guess, but I missed being home with you. Does that make me a loser? Everyone said that I suck at having fun!"

Edward laughed and he imagined that she was pouting. When he asked if she was, she giggled.

"Maybe?"

"Well, I miss you too, my sweet girl. Don't worry, the week will go quickly and then you'll be home and we will have to deal with a million of Bree's friends and Emmett either playing 'bouncer' or acting like another fifteen year old!"

Bella yawned.

"Hmm, sorry, but I'm tired." She said.

"Get some sleep and I will speak to you tomorrow, love. I love you."

"I love you too."

Bella lay in bed and the last thought before she succumbed to sleep was that she could not wait for the coming week to fly by.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reviewing and reading my story. Remember if for any reason I am taken off FF, please come and find me on TWCS – my name there is 'peoplelikeus'.**

**Hugs till next time,**

**Michele**


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

**HOPE SPRINGS**

"_Well, I miss you too, my sweet girl. Don't worry, the week will go quickly and then you'll be home and we will have to deal with a million of Bree's friends and Emmett either playing 'bouncer' or acting like another fifteen year old!"_

_Bella yawned._

"_Hmm, sorry, but I'm tired." She said._

"_Get some sleep and I will speak to you tomorrow, love. I love you."_

"_I love you too."_

_Bella lay in bed and the last thought before she succumbed to sleep was that she could not wait for the coming week to fly by._

**CHAPTER 27 – Birthdays and Autumn Leaves **

Saturday was a beautiful early autumn day. Edward stumbled down the stairs when he heard the commotion early in the morning. He ignored all the women in the kitchen and made his way over to the coffee pot and poured a large mug of the aromatic brew, added the fresh milk and took a long sip.

Hmmm, almost better than sex, he thought before he looked over at where Bella was sitting with an amused smirk on her face and he made his was over to her.

"Morning, love." He mumbled and dropped a kiss onto her upturned mouth, before he pulled out a stool and took another drink of coffee.

Alice shook her head at the sleepy man and grinned at Bella, "So, I guess that you don't see much action in the mornings Bells?"

"Alice!" Bella reprimanded sternly but Edward looked up to see the twinkle in her eyes before he glared at his sister in law.

"What the hell are you doing here so early, Nuisance?"

Alice laughed, "Well, for your information, 'Sulky-ward', it's after seven and Rosie and I are here to help set up the decorations and to get the house ready for the party. There is so much to do! Bella and Rachel are doing the breads and side dishes; you and Jasper are in charge of the barbeque while watching the kids in the pool and Emmett is in charge of patrolling all of the dark corners in the garden and sitting room and I've got Makenna and Angela helping with the party favors for the girls and some cool stuff for the guys as well."

Edward shook his head slightly to clear it. "Wow, you said all of that without taking a breath and you didn't even turn red!" he said in wonder.

Alice gave him a hard stare and punched her small fists onto her hips, "Edward Cullen, are you even listening to me? There are a ton of things to be done today; parties don't just plan themselves you know! Now, this is what you are going to do. First of all…."

Edward took a long drink of coffee, ignoring the scolding burn; _it was going to be a very long day._

Three hours later, Edward wiped the sweat off his forehead and the ladder tipped dangerously to one side as he tried to grip the sides with his sweaty hands and he heard Jasper spew out a curse, "Hold the fucking ladder straight! Goddamnit Edward, if I fall, I'll kill you!"

"Sorry, Bro! How much more is there?" he asked, more than a little pissed off that they had strung about ten million lights already and the miles of bulbs just never seemed to come to an end.

"Thank fuck, this is the last one! I swear, if she brings out another string, I will arrest her myself! She is…"

"She is – what Jasper? I dare you to finish that sentence and still think that you will sleep in our bed for the next week." Alice's voice sounded from the front porch and Edward's hand's jerked, causing the ladder to wobble dangerously.

Ten minutes later, red-faced Jasper climbed down the ladder. Edward tried to sidestep his brother, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the punch to his upper arm.

"Ow! What the fuck, Jasper?"

"That was for moving the damn ladder, you moron, I almost fell on my ass!"

"BOYS! Enough!" Both men looked up at Bella who was glaring at them.

"But, love, he…"

"Bells, it was…"

"_I. Don't. Care_! Now, you need to watch your potty mouths because you are not alone!" she hissed looking to where the men stood.

Jasper felt a small hand tug his jeans and he looked down to see Brady staring up at him with a confused look on his face, "Daddy, why are you cross with Uncle Eddie? Was he bad?"

Jasper let out a frustrated sigh and crouched down, "No, Uncle Eddie isn't bad, Son. He just made a mistake and I almost fell and so I got a little scared. I didn't mean to shout at Uncle Eddie."

He stood up and stuck his hand out. Edward put his hand into it tentatively, "I'm sorry for shouting Edward." Jasper said quietly although his eyes were shooting daggers at his brother.

Edward smiled as he shook his hand, "That's okay, Jasper, everyone makes mistakes sometimes."

Jasper and Alice had been trying to teach their children, especially Brady, the lesson of forgiveness and patience between siblings and other family members.

Brady nodded with satisfaction as he watched his father and uncle give each other a hug before he walked up the porch steps and took Bella's hand, "Come on my Belle, I think that they have it under control now. Let's go and see what Uncle Em is up to."

Bella bit back her smile and nodded at him, "I think you are right Brady. Thanks for your help."

She threw the men a pointed look, "Alice is looking for you two."

Edward groaned as Jasper just shook his head dejectedly. He could command his own police force and he was the Law for miles around, but his five foot tiny sprite of a wife brought him to his knees every time. He knew that resistance was futile.

Jasper waited until they were alone before he pushed Edward away from him, "Damn morality lessons!"

Edward laughed as he picked the ladder up and they walked to the potting shed to store the ladder and the tools that they had used.

"Do you remember how dad taught us not to gang up on each other?"

Jasper chuckled, "You mean by tying us together for the weekend with the rope around our waists? Oh boy, we were all so pissed about that!"

"We were so angry with mom and dad that we forgot to fight amongst ourselves – well except when we had to go into the bathroom with Emmett. I remember crying my eyes out, begging to be untied!"

They were still laughing when they walked around to the back of the house where the pool party was in full swing.

Emmett was sitting on a high stool in his black cut off jeans, black T-shirt and aviator sunglasses. His huge arms were crossed and he looked intimidating as hell.

Jasper and Edward were dressed identically to Emmett and Rosalie had commented that most of the teenage girls were going to have to be 'rescued' that afternoon.

Bella, Rachel and Rosalie kept replenishing the large buffet table with eats and soda, while Alice kept the music playing in the background.

The rest of the afternoon passed fairly peacefully, except for a few minor incidents of childish groping and some rough behavior in the pool, a couple of guys smoking and some seniors trying to crash the party. It only took a growl from Emmett and Edward and a flash of Jasper's badge for the kids to scatter.

At seven that evening, the thousands of fairy lights twinkled from the trees, the awning and all around the yard, while Jasper and Edward turned and served what seemed like hundreds of burgers and hotdogs.

Everyone was urged to change and get dressed before they ate dinner. Afterwards, the party moved indoors. The sitting room had been cleared of all furniture and one of the senior's from the high school acted as Deejay.

The music pumped and the adults kept a careful eye on proceedings.

Just before midnight, the party ended and parents arrived to escort their children home. Bree hugged her brothers and sisters-in-law and she thanked them for throwing her the 'best party ever!'. Esme and Carlisle had Skyped her earlier in the day and Carlisle was baffled but relieved to see that his wife and Bree acted as if they had never fought.

Everyone helped to clean up and Edward sent Bree and her two best friends, Sherri and Caitlyn upstairs to shower and get ready for bed.

By one o'clock the house was in perfect order once more. All of the leftover food was either packed away or it had been sent home with guests. The family sat in the sitting room, sipping a beer except for Bella and Alice who were drinking water.

Rosalie looked over at her sister with a narrowed gaze, "Ali, that's the second time I've seen you opt for water instead of wine. Is there something that you guys need to tell us?"

Alice looked over at Jasper who smiled and gave his wife a slight nod, "Alice and I are pregnant." Jasper said.

Alice gave Bella a worried look as everyone rushed forward to hug them.

"Congratulations Alice!" Bella said as she hugged her friend.

"Are you okay about this, Bella?" Alice asked quietly.

Bella looked at her quizzically, "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Suddenly the realization hit her, "Oh Alice! Of course I'm happy for you and Jasper! It wasn't my time to become a mother; that's all. I'm still sad about my baby, but that doesn't mean that I'm not happy for you guys!"

Alice heaved a sigh of relief. Even though Jasper had tried to assure her that Bella would take the news well, she had still been concerned about how Bella would take the news of her pregnancy.

Alice and Jasper left after Jasper had put both children into the car and Rosalie and Emmett picked up their children and left at the same time.

Edward switched off the lights downstairs and Bella rinsed out the last glasses and put the empty bottles into the recycling bin before they walked upstairs together.

Bella had wanted to sleep in her apartment but Edward had insisted that she sleep with him in his old bedroom.

Esme had refurbished each of her sons' childhood rooms and had made them more adult in décor. Gone were the single beds, and instead there was a large bed for the couples. The 'spare' bedroom had been turned into a dorm like room for the grandkids with two sets of bunk beds on each side of the room, with a large book/toy set of open shelves that acted as a room divider between the boys and girls.

Edward's room was tastefully decorated in navy blue and white. White whicker furniture was covered in navy blue checks, stripes and patterns and the center feature was the enormous bed, covered with a blue and white down patchwork comforter.

The navy blue curtains and the white lace beneath it gave the room a softly masculine look.

Edward went on to shower while Bella checked on the girls. She smiled as she saw them sleeping on the blow up mattresses and in Bree's bed. She turned the light out and closed the door quietly. She was sure that they would sleep well after such a hectic day.

Bella quickly picked up her sleep clothes and took a shower in the guest bathroom and she put on a pair of sleep pants and a tank top before she walked back to Edward's room.

Roscoe was asleep on the top of the staircase, which was his 'spot' when he slept at May-May's house.

Bella patted him and walked into Edward's room and closed the door just as Edward was coming out of the bathroom wearing only a towel slung around his hips. She could feel her breath quicken as she stared at his trip body, with his broad shoulders and muscular arms all of which were rippling as he vigorously towel dried his hair with one hand, while the other absently rubbed his abs.

Bella licked her lips as her eyes devoured his abs_. Oh. My. God. _

Her mind went blank as she took in the fine hair that swirled and pointed down towards the upper curl of the towel. _And his hips, oh good heavens, his hips with the 'V'! _

Before Bella could stop herself, she groaned loudly.

"Sorry!" she gasped, flustered and blushing as Edward looked at her and chuckled.

"No need to apologize, love; I feel that way when I see you all the time."

Bella shook her head as she stared at her hands. She was mortified at having been caught virtually raping her boyfriend with her eyes!

Edward's cock rose to the occasion as he almost swaggered across the floor until he stood close enough for Bella to feel his body heat.

She swallowed thickly as his stomach and his obviously tented towel came into her line of vision.

"Isabella," Edward said his voice thick with emotion.

His pointer finger brushed her chin before he gently tipped her face up until his blazing dark green eyes met her large brown ones.

"You look like a doe in the meadow, love. You look so delicate and fragile," his hand brushed down her neck, ghosting over her chest. Bella's breathing caught as a fingernail lightly raked across a nipple, but she could not look away from his hypnotic eyes. Her skin burned wherever his hand touched her.

"But underneath that fragility is a strength and force that is stunning to behold. Your eyes look as if they have seen life for a thousand years and yet, I've seen your eyes widen in shock and surprise," he paused as his fingers brushed down her stomach to trace the curve of her hipbone before his eyes darkened and his hand moved down to suddenly cup her heat and trap her wetness through her shorts in his hand.

Bella gasped and Edward's hand tightened for just a moment, but it was enough to make her swoon. Instantly Edward's free hand wrapped around her waist and he brought her flush with his body so that every inch of her was pressing against him. She could feel his hard dick pressed against the softness of her stomach and she whimpered as she realized that somewhere along the line, Edward had dropped his towel.

Edward's chuckle had her looking up at him, "That's the wide-eyed look I was talking about. Do you have any idea how much I fucking love you, Isabella Swan?"

Bella had slipped her hands up his chest and her hands tightened on his shoulders as her eyes grew darker and smoldered, "Almost as much as I fucking love you Edward Cullen? I need you."

Those last three words released him and he growled deep in his chest as he crushed his mouth to hers.

Their tongues dueled for a moment before Bella relented and she heard Edward's victorious rumble as he dominated her mouth. His hands were busy stroking her breasts, pinching her already hard and elongated nipples as she rose up on tiptoe to deepen their kiss.

Finally the need to breathe took control and they pulled away from each other. Edward's eyes were almost black with lust as he panted heavily.

"Fuck, Bella, you are like a drug to me! I just can't get enough of you. Your skin is like spun silk…"

Bella heaved a shaky sigh and stepped back from him. Her fingers reached for her top and she whipped it over her head before she peeled her pants over her hips and let them pool in a heap at her feet.

Edward's eyes scorched her skin as he stared at her iridescent body in the moonlight.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered reverently.

Bella smiled a siren's smile as she took his hand and walked to his bed before she lay down and held out her hands to him.

"Love me."

Edward came down beside her quickly, nudging her legs apart only to push his hips against hers, "I adore you." He said with a devilish smile.

His lips found hers even as his fingers laced through hers and he held them over her head until he felt the wrought iron headboard.

"Hold on to this," he said.

Bella's eyes opened wide before she obeyed him. He slithered down her body, letting his tongue, lips and teeth taste her.

He nibbled on her collar bones before moving on to the rounded orbs of her breasts. He molded them, sucked them and licked all around the areola before he gave into to her quiet pleading and his suckled on her nipples, soothing the ache only to tease her once again, so that she was almost in a frenzy for his tongue and teeth.

"Edward! Fuck! Don't tease me!" she half ordered, half implored him.

He moved further down, lapping at her flat stomach, down, down as he nipped at the fatty part of her pussy. He sucked the plump lips into his mouth as his fingers teased and circled her clit.

"Watch me." He ordered as his mouth lowered to take that little nubbin into his mouth and he sucked on it strongly. He used it as a little tongue, French kissing it, making Bella's legs shake until she was covering her face with a soft pillow as she let go and she felt him pinching her clit as he drank all that she gave him like a man in a dessert.

Finally, finally he moved upwards and Bella looked up at his handsome face through hooded eyes.

"I adore you." He repeated as he pushed his pulsating tip into her softness. Bella arched her back as his piercing added even more sensation to her already heightened state and she could feel herself close to falling apart again.

She gripped his shoulders as he moved inside her.

Sweat slicked between their bodies as they moved as one. He drove inside her, deep and sure and Bella lost track of when she came as she spiraled out of control over and over until she was sobbing against his shoulder and finally he gripped her chin in his fingers and stared intently into her eyes before he fell apart and Bella joined him weakly, her insides milking him.

Slowly the air around them cooled as their breathing slowed and Edward pressed his forehead against hers.

"That was…"

"Amazing!"

"Unbelievable!"

"Stupendous!"

Edward withdrew from her heat as he chuckled tiredly, "Stupendous? Is that a collage term?"

Bella giggled as she pushed him onto his back and she sprawled across his chest as their skin began to cool.

"Of course it is! Hmm, I know that we should shower, but I don't think that I've got the energy to move."

Edward kissed her forehead and shifted from under her.

"Let me, Sweetheart." He said and he got up and ran a tub of hot water. He used some refreshing bath salts that smelled of pine and tea tree before he went back to his room and picked Bella up.

He climbed into the water and held her between his legs, mindful to wind her hair to one side.

Bella smiled lazily as Edward washed the sweat from their bodies in-between dropping kisses to her neck, shoulders and back.

Bella ran her fingers over his feet, calves and thighs as they chatted quietly.

Edward was concerned as always that Bella was going to push herself too hard during the semester and Bella was quick to reassure him that she was going to stick to her plan which included taking time away from her schoolwork.

"Hey, by the way, there is a letter from HS Elementary that came the other day." Edward said.

Bella gasped and turned around so quickly that she sloshed water all over the floor.

"What? Where? Oh my god, Edward! I thought that they would have sent an email and I was worried that I didn't hear from them!"

She scrambled out of the bath with a quick wet kiss to his cheek.

"Be right back!" she said as she hurriedly dried herself and tugged her sleep pants and top back on. Roscoe jumped to his feet when he heard Bella's footsteps and then the opening of the door.

Bella reassured him before she went downstairs and she walked over to the hall stand where all the post was set down.

She found her letter and walked into the kitchen, turning the lights on. She automatically filled the kettle with water and set it to boil as she stared at the typed envelope.

Suddenly she was nervous and her fingers shook as she turned that letter over in her hands. More than anything, Bella wanted this. She wanted to teach more than anything and she wanted to teach in Hope Springs. She wanted to go home to Edward every night and although she knew that she still had two or at the most three years of studying ahead of her, she wanted this time. She also knew that if she was accepted at HS Elementary then the chances of them accepting her back again and eventually offering her a permanent position would be good.

"Just open it love." Edward's words made her jump and she flashed him a sheepish smile.

With a brave nod she flipped the top open.

"_**Dear Miss Swan,**_

_**We are very pleased to invite you to complete your Sophomore Fieldwork study at our school…"**_

Bella's vision swam as she quickly scanned the letter before she looked up, "They want me! Oh Edward! They want me!"

Edward's face broke into a wide grin and his eyes were the color of spring leaves as he nodded, "Of course they want you, silly girl! Come here!"

Bella flew into his arms and he spun her around as she giggled.

He set her down again, "When do you begin?"

Bella made them each a mug of tea and they sat at the counter. It didn't matter that it was almost four o'clock in the morning and they were both going to be exhausted when the sun came up. Bella knew that she was far too excited to sleep.

"The first field study is twenty hours beginning in October, after we go back from Fall Recess. I go back to school for finals and then after winter break I will do the next course and the field study for that is about another twenty hours."

Edward frowned, "Are you going to be able to cope with all of that and keep up with the rest of your studies? How are you going to cram all of those credits into this semester?"

Bella felt a bit irritated but she held her tongue. She knew that Edward was worried, but she also knew that she could do this!

"Just trust me, okay? I've already got most of my credits for English for this semester so if things get too hectic, I don't have a problem in holding off on the two junior classes that I had signed up for. Meantime, I'm taking the last of my sophomore classes for Education and three of junior classes that will run concurrently. I have already received permission for my courses from the faculty heads of both the English and the Education Departments and they agree that I should be fine to complete my course load for the year. Professor Powel has put me in touch with the Student Teacher Advisor, Jill Claghton, and I will need to write the Praxis one and Praxis Two exams to qualify as a Student Teacher. If I pass those tests then I will go for my Licensure or Certification in Elementary Teaching. My certification is two semesters, so I should be on track to qualify within the three years that I set myself." She said breathlessly.

Edward tucked a strand of hair behind Bella's ear and he watched as she spoke with passion and excitement. He could see that she loved the challenge and if the steely determination in her eyes were anything to go by, she was going to be more than fine.

"I believe you can do anything that you set your mind to, Isabella Swan." He said as he leaned over and kisses her.

Bella was beaming as she pulled away from him, "Thank you for believing in me."

=====HS=====

The time seemed to fly by and Jasper, Edward and Emmett shared the extra load of the farm between them. The management team that consisted of Paul, Jared, Collin and Brady were fiercely loyal to _Blue Bonnet _and to Esme and they worked hard to make sure that everything ran smoothly – or as smoothly as possible.

Bree settled down and Edward was proud of how mature she had become. She was one of the more popular girls in school but she never let that go to her head as she worked hard and most evenings Edward would come home to a cooked meal that she had prepared or at least had helped one of her sisters-in-law prepare.

Riley had spent a fair amount of time getting to know Bree's brothers and when they had stopped scaring the crap out of him, he found that he enjoyed their company. Things between him and Bree could become heated quite quickly, and Bree and Riley had spoken about their relationship with one of the youth councilors at church and Bree had also confided in Alice, Bella and Rosie but only after she made them promise not to tell her brothers.

Surprisingly it was Bella that came up with some practical advice that Bree and Riley took to heart. They didn't spend time behind closed doors, as tempted as they were. They stayed in the confines of the 'common' rooms in their homes and after plucking up an enormous amount of courage Riley decided to ask Edward to be his 'accountability' partner. He had known Edward all of his life and he knew how much Brianna adored her brothers and Edward was her favorite.

And so Riley made an appointment to see Edward in his office on Friday in late September.

Edward walked out to the reception area and was surprised to see Riley's name on his appointment diary.

"Riley?" he asked with a puzzled frown and a growing sense of dread_. Please don't let this be trouble_, he thought to himself.

Riley jumped as if he had been shot and Edward could see him shaking from where he stood.

He forced himself to stay calm as he ushered Riley into the office and quietly closed the door.

Once he was settled behind his father's desk he took a deep breath and hoped that Riley could not see the furious thoughts in his eyes.

Riley swallowed nervously. Bree had told him to talk to Edward at work because she said that it would help Edward to stay focused. Riley secretly thought that it was so that Edward couldn't kill him.

"Edward, um," his voice broke and the boy turned blood red as he cleared his throat and Edward could not help but feel admiration for the youngster as he watched Riley wipe sweat off his forehead and swallow again.

"Um, Edward, well, um, we, I mean I, I was wondering if you would, or could, um, i-i-i-if you would be my __" he stared wide eyed at Edward who suddenly seemed to be a giant of a man and Riley wondered if he had ever killed anyone… shit, this was a bad idea….

"Riley? Riley! What did you just say? I couldn't understand a word that you mumbled. Just talk slow and steady, boy!" Edward snapped impatiently before he took another deep breath.

He wished that his parents were here.

Riley wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and cleared his throat again, and although Edward could still see fear in his eyes, he also saw raw determination in his bright blue eyes.

"Okay, so, like, I know that you are Brianna's brother and all, but, well here's the thing. Bree and I are still virgins." He said and he wiped his forehead while he turned scarlet.

Edward wanted to laugh, but he had a great poker face and so he held himself still and stared impassively at Riley, "And you are telling me this, because…"

He wished that Bella was here.

"Because we want to wait until we get married and my mentor at church says that I should have s-s-someone that I can c-c-c-confide in if, well, if… you know…"

Edward's eyes darkened and narrowed as he sat forward, "…_if,_ I know – what Riley? _If_, say you _'slip'_ and have your way with my baby sister? If – _what_? _If you want to grope her?_ Tell, me – ARE YOU STUPID OR JUST CRAZY? WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME THIS?"

Edward was red in the face as he jumped up from behind his desk and gripped his hair and tugged – hard.

Riley had jumped up as Edward had and he was cowering in the corner of the room. He was trying to be brave, but he didn't think that this would end well for him. Shit!

Finally after several minutes of silence, broken only by Edward's muttering and curses, Edward turned around and glared at Riley, "Okay, tell me honestly, Biers, what the fuck do you want from me?"

"I love Bree and I know that we are young, but we really want to do this right. I know that it won't be easy, but we want to try and wait for marriage and Bree trusts you and she said that I could too and I want to – I need to be able to talk to someone if we feel that we are getting into trouble," he held out his hands in a plea, "BEFORE we go too far! Will you help us, um or me? Can we trust you?"

The man and the teenager stared at each other from across the room before Edward sighed and pointed towards the chairs in front of his desk.

"Stop cowering and take a seat."

Riley watched him wearily before he sat down as far from Edward as possible.

"You have to understand, this is my baby sister, man. She is just a child!"

Riley shook his head, "No she's not! Neither of us are children and we wish that people would stop saying that! We know what we want and we know our own minds; we love each other, Edward!" He got up and stalked over to the door.

Frustration marred Riley's handsome face as he glared back at Edward, "I thought that you would be different, but Bella was wrong." He said as he pulled the door open.

Edward squeezed his eyes shut for a second, "Riley! Wait a damn second…"

Riley rolled his shoulders and closed the door again, "I suppose now you'll tell me to stay away from her, well?"

Edward shook his head, "No, I wasn't going to say that. Look," he ran his hands through his hair and stared at the photograph on his desk of Bella sitting on her window seat, reading.

He looked up at the young man and gave him a nod, "Okay, look if you are serious about this then I will be there for the two of you, but you especially. Come by the house for dinner tonight because I want to talk to both of you."

Riley's face changed in an instant and his face almost split with the grin that melted Bree's heart, "I'll see you at six. Thanks Edward!" he said as he jumped up.

Edward held up his hand, "Six-thirty."

Riley could not wipe the smile off his face as he bounded to the door like a playful puppy, "Six-thirty!"

Edward blew his breath out as he sat down behind his desk. He knew that the conversation that evening wouldn't not be easy and that there may be some raised voices, after all, both he and Brianna had inherited Esme's fiery temper.

He checked his watch and picked up his phone to call Bella until he remembered that she was studying for an important test the following day.

=====HS=====

Bella stood up and stretched her tired and cramped muscles. She had been hunched over her books for hours and her stomach growling reminded her that she had not eaten since lunch and it was after ten o'clock.

She was working hard to finish all of the assignments that she needed to hand in before fall recess and she was eager to get home.

Just that day she had met with Professor Claghton, the Student Teacher Advisor, who had outlined which courses she would need to complete in the spring semester in order to be able to qualify as a Student Teacher.

Bella would be sitting for the two Praxis exams at the end of the following March and April and she was nervous and excited. Professor Claghton had also advised her on putting together her portfolio which was like a thesis that would need to meet the Vermont Education Departments requirements.

Bella was excited because her study load would be lighter the following semester and when she came back in the fall; she would have two full semesters of student teaching with only a few courses a week to complete her degrees and she would graduate a full year early, but the best news was that she would be living at home while she was in her final year and Bella couldn't wait.

Bella decided to take a shower which did wonders to loosen and warm her body. She dressed in a pair of sweatpants, a tank top and a cardigan before she went downstairs to collect her plate of dinner from the kitchen.

She warmed up her plate of grilled chicken and vegetables while she poured herself a glass of soda.

Once everything was done, she carried her bounty to the kitchen table and pulled out her phone.

Edward answered on the second ring and Bella smiled for what seemed like the first time that day.

They spoke while she ate and Edward admonished her for eating so late. He was pleased that she had not neglected her running and when she was at home they often ran together. Bella asked about the _**Apple and Pumpkin Festival**_ that was scheduled to take place two weeks later, in the beginning of October, which conveniently fell within fall recess.

It was all that the town had been talking about and planning for weeks, after the large Labor Day picnic.

Several towns in the surrounding area were involved and the festival was to go on for the entire weekend, beginning on the Friday night with the fun fare that would be set up on the outskirts of Hope Springs.

The town council had voted not to have the fare on Dawson's common because of _the 'Great apple fire of '97.'_

Details were still sketchy but Edward explained that rumor was that 'someone' (he clearly coughed the name '_Russell_') had wanted to test the theory that unpolished apples didn't burn and that day twenty-two stalls had burned to the ground.

Bella felt all of the stress leave her as she listened to Edward talk about the mundane goings on in town.

Edward understood that listening to him gossip helped Bella to feel connected to her adopted home and he often found himself asking people for news so that he could tell Bella who's dog had gone after old man Davis' cat and what Dora had done to make Jasper irate that week.

He told her about the dinner that he had with Riley and Bella was happy that both he and Bree had kept their tempers in check as they had spoken about her and Riley's relationship and how it was bound to change as they became older and even more sexually aware of each other. Edward had made Bree promise to talk to their parents about birth control options even though they were determined to stay 'pure'.

Bella finally whispered good night as she made her way upstairs quietly and she didn't see the shadow of the man standing on the landing until he reached for her arm.

Bella muffled a scream and glared at her teacher. She could not wait until the semester was over and she would be done with his class.

She hated to admit it but Mark was a great teacher when it came to World Literature and Shakespeare studies but she had already considered dropping those two classes for something else until she realized that she couldn't, not if she wanted to stay on track to graduate early.

"What the fuck do you want?" He had her almost cornered on the landing and she was scared and livid.

Mark smirked and clicked his tongue, "Tsk, Tsk, Bella. What a dirty mouth you've got. Are you a dirty girl? Hmm?" he said as he walked forward, causing her to back into her door.

Bella felt behind her and she slowly turned the handle as she hissed at him, "Fuck off, _Professor_! Stay away from me or you will regret it!"

Mark's eyes grew ice cold as he glared at her, "Or what Isabella? You want to take me on?"

Bella's heart lurched, as she smelled the liquor on his breath, "Stay away from me." She reiterated before she spun into her room and slammed her door, throwing the dead bolt and sliding the slot lock into place.

Her knees sagged as she felt tears prick behind her closed eyelids.

She was not going to let that bastard run her off from her dreams! Not when she had gone through so much to finally get where she was!

Bella let out a shaky breath. She needed a plan.

_It was time that Mark Watson-Smythe learned that she was not to be fucked with!_

=====HS=====

The problem was that she couldn't think of what to do but everyone was busy with end of term assignments which kept Bella from thinking about it too much. Dash was a godsend as he continued to 'guard' her door at night, but leaving his door open until late. He also had Bella text him when she was ready to leave and he made sure that he was around as much as possible to see that she got to school without encountering Mark.

Luckily the next two weeks flew by and when Bella handed in her final assignment to Mark, her eyes burned like two coals as he smirked at her.

"See you after the break, Isabella," he said quietly.

Bella's head snapped around and she glared at him, "I have completed all of the assignment requirements for this class, Professor, so I only have to write my finals."

Mark's eyes hardened slightly, but he kept the teasing smile on his face, "Oh I meant that I will see you at _home_, Isabella."

Bella felt her face turn red as she heard several gasps behind her, but she refused to turn around.

Her hand twitched from the desire to smash it into his face, but she restrained herself.

"I can't stop you from living in the boarding house, Professor, but it is not my home, my home is in Hope Springs."

Mark grinned, "Oh go on with you, silly girl, and I will no doubt see you for dinner. I will try not to be late." He said, his voice lilting and teasing as though he was talking to his lover.

For a moment Bella's eyes met his and she could see the dark anger and spite that her constant rejection had brought and she knew that this was his way of making her pay for her treatment of him.

Bella blinked and that quickly the vengeful look was gone and a he turned to the next person waiting to hand in their assignment.

Bella's eyes burned with unshed tears as she flew out of the lecture hall and down the hallway into the cold autumn afternoon.

She could feel her entire body shaking with fury and fear.

She hated admitting that Mark Watson-Smythe, for all of his pompous, smug shit, scared the life out of her, but he did.

He made her feel small and defenseless and threatened, just like she had when she was living with the Rawlings. When Bella had run away from foster care, she had vowed that no one would ever make her feel that way again.

Every time she looked into his all knowing eyes, she felt as if she was looking at her foster father, Simon.

Bella almost stumbled down the steps of Tilton Hall and she abruptly sat down on the bottom step, unmindful of the moisture that earlier rain had left behind.

She hadn't wanted to burden anyone with her trouble with Mark. She wanted to handle it on her own but as her fellow classmates filtered out of the hall, she could feel their eyes on her as they walked passed her; no doubt their tongues were wagging as well.

_Of course they were curious_; Mark had implied that they were fucking living together! Bella wanted to cry and scream but she had to hold on for just a few more hours. She was going home and she knew that she would have to talk to someone about what she was going to do.

Bella had thought about going to her advisor, but she when she had brought up a casual conversation about how one would go about complaining about the behavior of a teacher or professor, Abby had basically told her that to do so would be like committing academic suicide because unless the case was ironclad, the student would not be trusted again and no teacher would want that student in their class.

_Fuck!_ She thought as she heard her name being called. She turned and sighed as Casey and Brenda raced down the steps.

"Bella! What the fuck was that? Are you trying to get yourself kicked out of school?" Brenda said before Casey could speak.

Casey glared at her friend, "Brenda! Shut up! You don't know anything about this!" She turned to Bella with a concerned look in her eyes, "Bella are you okay?" She asked as she reached out to touch Bella's arm.

Instinctively Bella pulled away from her and Casey's eyes turned sad. The three girls walked to where Bella had parked her car, already packed and ready to go. She quickly opened it and threw her bags and books onto the passenger seat before she took a moment to compose herself.

Bella bit her lip to stop tears from falling. _She was not a weakling!_ She turned around and faced her two friends.

"It – it doesn't matter. What matters is that he thinks that he can get away with this! I- fuck, I just don't know what to do!" Bella half yelled as she tugged on her ponytail in frustration.

Casey looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know; if I report this then I've been told that I'm committing 'academic suicide' and I might as well quit – but if I quit then, _that asshole_ wins! Fuck!"

"What do you mean if you report it? Bella have you spoken to someone already?"

Bella was torn but she didn't know what else to do, "I-I spoke to my advisor and that's what she told me. I made it more hypothetical, but she told me that unless the 'students' accusations were 'iron-clad' that it would be 'academic suicide' to try and report it, so I need to just try and get a grip on myself and just avoid him at all costs."

Bella scuffed the toe of her boot on the step before she looked from one friend to the other, "Everyone is going to think that I'm sleeping with him, aren't they?" she asked quietly.

Casey shrugged, but she nodded reluctantly as Brenda looked from one to the other, "Aren't you?" she asked.

Bella bit back the urge to scream, "No! Of course not! For fuck's sake Brenda; I've been seeing Edward for a year! We practically live together and I have never loved anyone as much as I love that man! Why the fuck would I look at that British weasel?"

They ignored the curious looks that their raised voices were getting as other students hurried to their cars or dorms.

Bella smiled sadly, "I was thinking of coming up with some excuse and moving into an apartment for the rest of my studies. There is no way that I can stay with Mrs. B if he's going to be there."

Casey narrowed her eyes, "Then he wins again. You can also transfer to Franklin or UV, but then he wins again! Bella; you have got to stand up and do something! What if he doesn't stop? What if it gets worse and he attacks someone? What if…"

Bella's fists clenched at her sides as she glared at Casey, "Why the fuck should I sacrifice everything that I have slaved over to fuck one over on this asshole? He will carry on with his life, Casey and where will I be? Working the farm fields or working in a shop for the rest of my life? No fucking way!" Bella was past caring if anyone heard them. She was scared, pissed off and ready for a fight.

A large hand clamped down on her shoulder and she swung around, hand fisted and Dash just barely dodged her small but potent fist as he ducked and caught her hand.

"Whoa! Fuck! Bella, what was that?" he asked.

Bella took a step backwards and she stumbled to her open car door, "Look – this is just too – I can't – I'm outta here."

Seconds later her car roared to life and she spun her tires as she roared down the road to the gate of the collage.

Alex, Jeff and Barry watched with their friends until Bella's car shot around the corner and she was gone.

Barry looked at the girls, "What the fuck is up her ass? I'll bet it's the toffee-nosed professor." He said with a snigger.

Casey glared at him as she punched his arm, "Shut up, asshole!" She looked at Dash then, "Have – have you seen anything going on in the house with Bella and," she lowered her voice and stepped closer to Dash, "Watson-Smythe?"

Dash scowled, "Besides the fact that he is an absolute dickhead and he tries to get all up in her shit every chance he gets?"

Brenda looked confused, "But I thought that they were – you know, having a scene?"

Dash let out a bark of angry laughter, "What? Please, Bella hates him and you forget that my room is across the hall from hers. I hear her at night, dragging a chair and propping it against the door."

He shook his head as he looked at the two women, "Wait – I thought that you were her friends? Why would you even ask me that?"

Casey quickly explained what had happened in class and afterwards. Dash and Jeff were pissed off when they heard what Bella had said.

"Where the fuck did she get an idea like that? The school's policy on sexual harassment is really clear. Bella has nothing to be afraid of, she has never ever given him any encouragement, unless it was encouragement to go and fuck him self. This isn't right guys; what are we going to do?"

Jeff shrugged and pushed his long hair out of his eyes, "Dude; there's nothing we can do, man. This is like, Bella's business, you know."

Dash, shook his head and as Casey looked at him, she didn't see the twenty-year old graphics design major boyfriend; no, for the first time she saw the man that Dashel Rodney Everett the Third was and she was proud of him.

"Fuck this; Bella is our friend and we have to do something." He said with determination.

Brenda nodded, "We will. Come on, I have an idea."

=====HS=====

Bella was halfway back to Hope Springs before she began to calm down. _She could not believe that Mark had done what he did in front of the entire class! _

Who the fuck did he think that he was? Did she _look_ as if she was a victim? Once, maybe, when she had been alone and vulnerable, maybe then, when she was an orphan and afraid of her own shadow, then when Simon and Kate Rawlings used to terrify her, that's when she had been a victim!

"Not now. No more. I am Isabella Marie Swan and I have a home and a family and people who love me. I have a past and a future and I am proud of who I am, who I will become, who I've been." She repeated the words over and over until the trite phrases that Jasper had taught her to say whenever she began to feel lost, those words began to take hold of her and she gathered strength from them.

She wasn't stupid; she knew that the Cullen's were more than likely going to be furious with her. Her adopted 'uncles' even more so; and she knew that they would find out because Edward and she spoke to one of Charlie's friends at least once a week, who would pass on any news to the others.

"Fuck," Bella muttered when she heard the siren and saw the flashing lights in her rear view mirror. She looked down and frowned; she hadn't been speeding. She pulled over carefully and turned the car off.

Her eyes grew large when she saw Jeff, Casey, Dash, Brenda and Barry climbing out of the car, while two officers approached her window.

"Miss Swan?" one asked.

"Y-yes."

The older of the two spoke up, "Well, it seems that my niece needed a favor and I couldn't deny her…"

Bella felt her jaw slacken – _what the fuck was going on?_

Then she took another look at the 'policemen's' uniforms and she saw Brenda smirk when she saw _'Park Ranger'_ sewn onto a breast pocket onto a breast pocket.

Bella glared at the small group, "You sent park rangers after me? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Barry laughed, "Dude; that was so cool, like Yogi Bear or some shit!"

Bella tried to hid her laugh be was unsuccessful as she looked at Casey and Brenda, "And you wanted me to date this genius?"

Brenda's uncle spoke again, "Look, there's a diner down the road; let's go there to talk and get off the side of the road.

Bella shook her head, "Guys… just let this go…" She said quietly.

Everyone ignored her as they piled back into the rangers SUV and Bella bit back a growl as she found herself following them and pulling up to a small roadside diner just outside of Montpelier.

She walked inside to see her group of friends sitting in a back booth and she sighed dramatically as she sat down next to Casey, "Okay look…" she said but Casey cut her off.

"No, Bella, you look. You are our friend and this is really important. Mark Watson-Smythe cannot get away with this. This is sexual harassment and you as a student are protected by the law and by the very strict and clear rules of the school. If you don't stop him, he can do this to another girl, someone who is afraid of him and who will give into him just because he is a teacher and that is wrong! We…"

Bella held up her hand, "Okay. I'm not going to keep quiet about it. I know that this has gone too far and I am going to talk to my family when I get home."

Casey and Brenda looked at each other before Brenda narrowed her eyes, "You are? Do you promise?"

Bella nodded, "Yes. I'll admit that I'm scared because of everything that I've got to lose, but you are all right and Dash? Thanks for looking out for me. I know that you have been prowling the hall to make sure that he stays off our floor. Fuck, this is such a mess! Mrs. B is going to be pissed with me. I'm going to have to move…"

Dash swore under his breath, "That's bullshit! She signed an agreement with JSC that she would house students in a safe environment and you are not safe if that prick is out there hunting you like a piece of fucking meat! And if that is what she condones under her roof then Mrs. B won't be hosting students for very much longer."

Bella sighed, "This is going to ruin everything – look what it's already doing!"

They all finished their hot chocolate before Bella thanked Brenda's uncle and she said goodbye to her friends before she climbed back into her car and headed for home.

Bella tried to tune out the sense of uneasiness as she got closer to Hope Springs. She wondered if there had ever been any drama before she had arrived. It seemed that all she did was bring drama and chaos to the people that loved her.

Her mind went to Esme and Carlisle and she smiled as she thought back to their last Skype 'date'. Ever true to their word, Esme and Carlisle had made sure that they spoke to Bella at least once a week and they would Skype her whenever possible.

Esme was having the time of her life and Bella was amazed at how young both she and Carlisle seemed to be.

Their travels had taken them all over and they were currently in Thailand and Esme had sent Bella photographs of them at the Tiger sanctuary; riding Elephants and swimming in water so clear and blue, you could see your toes at the bottom.

Esme's hair had reddened even further with the exposure to sunlight and Bella had giggled when Esme had told her that both she and Carlisle had gotten themselves tattooed in Paris.

Before she was ready, Bella reached Hope Springs' town limits. She delayed going home by parking in Main Street and making her way over to Best of Blue. She hadn't been into the shop in ages and she had promised Makenna that she would do inventory as soon as she arrived in town.

The bell sounded as she pushed the door open and she smiled tiredly at Makenna, who was serving Mrs. Cope.

"…and so I told him; I said, 'Darling', because I still call him Darling you know. I said 'Darling, I know for a fact that the little floozy was after you – I saw it in her eyes!'." Bella shook her head as she browsed the shelves. Mrs. Cope leaned forward, "I'm telling you, Makenna, my Don is a rugged and virile man and there are plenty of strumpets around that would like to 'tango' with him – if you know what I mean…"

Bella turned her laugh into a cough, which made the older woman turn around, "Isabella! Welcome home! We were wondering when you were going to get in. I said as much to Don. I said..."

Bella hurried forward and gave Makenna a hug before Felicity could begin another tirade, "Hi Mak; hello Mrs. Cope. Is there someone else at the Post Office? I'm sure that I spotted a bit of a queue outside the front door…"

Mrs. Cope gasped and picked up her basket as she hurried to the door, "Bye everyone – _toodles_!"

Bella shook her head as Makenna hugged her again, "You are a sight for sore eyes, Bella Swan! I thought that my head was going to explode – she would not stop talking!"

Bella laughed again as they made small talk. Makenna could see that Bella seemed distracted and she noticed that Bella kept scanning the shop and even beyond to the street outside. This was something that Bella hadn't done in months.

"Bella?" Makenna asked for the third time.

"Hmm? Oh! Sorry Mak – I'm having trouble switching off from school." Her eyes flicked away uneasily, "Um, yeah, lots on my mind." Bella shifted from one foot to the other as she fidgeted.

"So, how are the plans going for the Festival? Do we have enough stock? Has the stock been coming in regularly? You know, Essie wanted the new Apple and Berry preserve on the shelves in time for Thanksgiving. I should check with Paul and Brady about the Pumpkin Pie Cream and the …" she looked up to see Makenna standing with her mouth open.

"What?" Bella asked.

"What's wrong with you?" Makenna asked.

Bella frowned "Nothing. Now as I was saying…"

"Something's wrong. What is it?"

"Nothing! Jeez! Just drop it alright?"

"Wow, you really are rattled about something, aren't you? What's going on, Bells? You haven't been this offensive since you arrived in town." Makenna asked.

Bella frowned, "It's nothing! Why must something be wrong? What is it with you people; can't you just butt out for a change instead of prying in everyone's affairs? Damnit!"

Bella turned to leave without giving Makenna a chance to speak but she came face to face with Rosalie and Alice who had heard her tirade in Alice's shop and had come to investigate.

Bella could feel her cheeks turning red but she couldn't seem to stop her mouth from shooting off, "What? I'm not going to stand here and get the third degree from you people!"

Rosalie glared at her, while Alice got a look of pity on her face that Bella despised.

"_You people?_ Seriously Bella. Well if you want to act like a rebellious teenager, go and do it somewhere else, because this is a place of business!" Rosalie snapped.

Bella grew even redder and more embarrassed by her behavior and she swallowed thickly before giving a single nod of her head.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she turned away before the tears could fall. She kept her head down as she hurried to her car blindly. She cursed as she tripped over her own feet.

She heard her name being called but she ignored it as she quickly got inside and drove up Main Street and turned onto the long road that would lead her to the farm.

As she drove up the long dirt driveway, she noticed two strange cars parked in the circular driveway behind Edward's truck.

All that Bella wanted to do was to run upstairs to her apartment and hide for the next week. She pulled her car into the garage and began to take her bags out when the door leading to the mud room opened and a loud, low voice called out: "Hey Bella! We decided to take Edward up on his invitation to come to the Apple and Pumpkin Festival – are you surprised?"

Bella looked up to see Peter, Garrett and Tex grinning at her with Edward standing just behind them.

"That's just great!" she said with a grin before her face crumbled and she burst into tears as she dashed up the stairs.

The four men looked at each other.

"Some surprise." Peter said quietly.

**A/N: I know that this is a lot of drama, but don't worry, it will be over in the next chapter. And who thinks that the horny Professor is about to get some very irate and unwelcome guests?**


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

HOPE SPRINGS

_**All that Bella wanted to do was to run upstairs to her apartment and hide for the next week. She pulled her car into the garage and began to take her bags out when the door leading to the mud room opened and a loud, low voice called out: "Hey Bella! We decided to take Edward up on his invitation to come to the Apple and Pumpkin Festival – are you surprised?"**_

_**Bella looked up to see Peter, Garrett and Tex grinning at her with Edward standing just behind them.**_

"_**That's just great!" she said with a grin before her face crumbled and she burst into tears as she dashed up the stairs.**_

_**The four men looked at each other.**_

"_**Some surprise." Peter said quietly.**_

CHAPTER 28 – HERE COMES TROUBLE

Bella opened her door and ran to her room, slamming that door as she threw herself across her bed. She hated the fact that she was behaving worse than Bree on a bad day. She hated that she was feeling all over the place emotionally. She spent a few minutes crying into her pillow before she became aware that she wasn't alone, when she felt a small hand run her back gently.

She pushed her hair out of her face and turned to see Alice sitting next to her and Rose sitting at the foot looking very concerned.

"What – um, what are you doing here?" Bella asked as she accepted the box of tissues that Rose was holding out.

She sat up on the bed and scooted into the middle as the sisters took a seat on either side of her.

"Well, we told the boys to 'disappear' for a bit so that we could find out what the hell is going on." Rose said.

Alice glared at her sister as she rubbed Bella's arm, "We know that something is very wrong, Bells, and we only want to help you. Will you let us?" she asked gently.

Bella's chin wobbled as she looked from one to the other, "I, I don't deserve you, I really don't! You shouldn't waste your time on me, because everything's going to be a mess and ruined in a couple of days anyway and then you won't want to be around me!"

Alice surprised them all by smacking Bella's hands as she moved to cover her face, "Stop that!" she snapped.

Bella was so surprised, that any thought of crying went right out of her head.

"What?" she whispered.

Rosalie cocked and eyebrow and smirked at her, in a 'high five' kind of way.

Alice ignored them both as she moved off the bed, "You heard me! This is crap! Stop behaving like a five year old; get your ass off this bed and into the kitchen. We are going to have some coffee, well you will, and I will have some tea and you are going to tell us what is going on and then we will work out what to do about it!" She stood with her hands on her hips as she glared at Bella, "Now, move!"

Ten minutes later, Bella had washed her face and she walked into the room to find Alice and Rosalie sitting at her small dining room table. There were three steaming mugs on the table and her two friends were obviously waiting for her.

"Come and sit down, Bells." Rosalie said quietly.

Bella swallowed and sat down. She stared at her hands and began to talk, "Please don't say anything until I'm finished…"

When she got to the part about Mark cornering her on the stairs, Rosalie growled but otherwise they were silent as she finished with her being 'pulled over' by her friends.

"…I know that you probably don't believe me, but I was going to tell Edward, and well, all of you because you are my family and I know that I was wrong to keep this to myself, but I didn't want to make a big deal about it. And at first it really wasn't a big deal, but then, when it – when he began to scare me, I was afraid that Edward wouldn't believe me…"

A movement behind her made her gasp and she turned to see Edward, Emmett and Jasper standing in her sitting room.

Bella looked at the others briefly, but her gaze was fixed on the fury and hurt that she saw on Edward's face.

"Why did you think that I wouldn't believe you? Don't you know me at all, Isabella?" Bella moved to stand up but the quiet anger in Edward's voice caused her to sit down again.

"No, I didn't think you'd believe me because no one ever did before!"

Edward frowned at her, "But this is not before, Isabella! This is now! This isn't Phoenix or the fucked up Rawlings… this is me! Have I ever not believed you? Even when you were hiding the fact that you were pregnant; did I ever doubt you?" Edward's tone was hard but not unkind. He continued to stare at Bella as she fidgeted uncomfortably.

Bella finally met Edward's eyes, "After you decided that I wasn't here to steal or take advantage of your family, then no; you have always believed in me. I was still scared and I'm sorry, but I still wake up sometimes wondering if this," she spread her arms out, "is all a dream and I'm really back in my shithole car, sleeping in the cramped back seat, wondering if I'm going to be a good mother to, to my…" her angry tirade ended as her voice died.

Although they stared at each other wordlessly, their eyes spoke in volumes.

She_: I'm so sorry…_

He_: Why don't you trust me?_

She_: I'm just afraid._

He_: I thought that we were past this._

She_: Do you have the patience to stay?_

He_: What do you want me to do?_

She_: Please fight for me, please be on my side, in my corner, my 'person'; my 'plus one'!_

The four onlookers found it fascinating how Edward and Bella circled each other slowly until Bella took a step forward, into Edward's personal space.

His eyes looked watery as he slowly opened his arms until they were wide enough and with a muffled cry Bella threw herself against him.

Edward's eyes closed as he felt her body trembling against his. His one wrapped around her slim shoulders while the other cupped the back of her head and he gently stroked her dark, silky hair as he whispered assurances into her ear.

"I love you so much Isabella; you are everything to me. I can't live without you and there is nothing that you can do that will make me stop loving you."

Bella felt herself begin to calm down and eventually she pulled away and stepped back. She was shocked to see that the rest of the family was missing.

"Where did everyone go? Did I scare them away?" she asked quietly as she wiped her face on a tissue.

Edward brushed a strand of hair out of her face as he smiled a little, "They wanted to give you some space. Come; let's sit down for a minute."

Edward sat down and pulled Bella down next to him.

Bella could see that he was still upset and angry and she knew that he had every right to be angry with her.

"I'm so sorry, Edward." She began but he held up his hand to silence her.

"Please, I need to say something and I need you to really listen to me. Can you do that?"

Bella bit her lip and nodded as she clasped her hands between her knees tightly. She felt as if she wanted to throw up.

_What if he has changed his mind? What if..._

"Bella!" her startled gaze flew up to meet his eyes, "Stop overthinking everything. Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise." He said gently as he reached over and pulled her hands until she was holding his one in both of hers.

"Breathe." Bella let out the air that she had been holding in and then she gave him a small smile.

"Okay?" she nodded, "Look; obviously I am a little, well maybe a lot pissed that you have been keeping this from me, but," he held up a finger before she could protest, "I understand why you tried to handle it yourself and I am proud of you for standing up to that," Bella saw him swallow thickly, "that scumbag."

Edward let out a shaky breath and dipped his head for a moment before he looked up at her.

"Do you know how much I want to get into my car and take my brother's shotgun and go and blow that fucking shit to smithereens? I want to kill him for even thinking of touching you! I want to beat his fucking face in for doing this to you! Aaagh! This is so damn frustrating!" Edward fisted his hair before he turned to look at Bella with dark, angry eyes, "Do you understand that I want to protect and take care of you, but I can't if you keep fighting me? I want to be there for you, Bella, but you just won't let me in – you have to do everything the hard way or your way. There are two of us in this relationship and there are other people in this family, you need to start thinking of others besides yourself!"

Bella had begun to cry during his outburst and now she pushed his hand away and stood up, putting as much distance between them as she could.

"I didn't realize that I was such a burden to you! If that's how you feel, why don't you just stay away from me? Maybe I should leave, give you and the family some space." She spat out and she turned around and bolted for the front door.

But Edward was faster and his hands clamped down on her shoulders before she could reach it, "No you don't!"

He twisted her around so that she was facing him and she backed up until she was pressed against the wall. Edward leaned in, putting his hands on either side of her head as Bella glared up at him with her fists clenched tightly.

"Let. Me. Go!" Bella growled.

Edward relaxed his grip and stepped back so that he was not crowding her, but he shook his head as his jaw flexed grimly, "Not until you stop acting like a child and stand and face the music, Bella. You can't run away every time life doesn't go your way!"

Bella gasped as she stared up at him, "So what? I should have stayed and let Simon _RAPE ME_? I should have stayed and let my teacher _RAPE_ me? I should stay and let you _bully_ me?"

Edward growled in frustration, "I can't talk to you when you get like this! You aren't even fucking listening to me!"

"And you…"

"THAT'S ENOUGH! NOW SIT DOWN BOTH OF YOU!" Both Bella and Edward jumped as Garrett's deep baritone echoed through the room.

Their heads spun around to see him and Jasper glaring at them.

"MOVE!" he barked at them and they found themselves scuttling over to the sofa. Bella glared at Edward as he sat down with a smirk and she moved to sit at the dining table.

Garrett shook his head as he looked from her to Edward and back again.

Bella bit her lip and felt about five years old for some reason.

"Isabella, we are all worried about you and we are all upset that you have been sexually harassed by your teacher. As a cop, I can tell you that that is an offense that isn't tolerated in any educational institution, so whoever told you that you shouldn't report it needs to be reported for incompetence at least."

He stepped forward just as Tex appeared around the corner. Edward felt as if he was going to faint. Tex was built like a mountain, and the way that he was glaring at Edward was just scary…

Tex pointed a beefy finger at Edward, "You! You had better not 'bully' her, understand?" Edward found himself nodding.

Bella felt rather pleased with herself until Tex turned to her and pointed a finger at her.

She swallowed loudly.

"And you, Miss Bella; you may not remember, but Charlie was a stand-up guy. He would have given everything for your happiness and if he was alive today, you can bet your sweet ass that he would be leading the possie to string that disgrace of an excuse for a man and they would never find the body!"

Tex was a sight to behold when he was angry.

"Lucky for him, Jasper here talked some sense into the rest of us, but you are going to speak a university official TODAY, and you are going to lay a charge against him. If they kick you out because of it, then we will let Emmett here loose on their asses!"

Emmett walked in and stood grinning at Bella with his arms folded, but his smile was hard and dangerous.

Peter pushed Emmett and Tex further into the room and Bella huffed as she folded her arms.

"I'm not a child…" she began but mild mannered Peter shocked her by slicing through the air sharply, causing Bella to snap her mouth shut. Bella could see how intimidating he could be as a cop.

"Then stop acting like one!" he snapped and Bella felt her cheeks grow red with anger as the six men nodded together as one.

Jasper could see that she was near the end of her patience and he put a calming hand on Peter's arm before he walked forward and sat down across from Bella.

"We are not trying to baby you, or belittle you Bella, but can you try and understand that we are all shaken by what we heard today? We love you very much and that… man could have really hurt you. He could have," suddenly Bella could see just how upset he was, they all were and she felt ashamed.

Jasper recognized the emotions flittering across her face and he put a warm hand over hers, "Don't do that, don't blame yourself. This was not your fault and we would have been angry no matter when you told us. But we are proud of you for telling us now. It could have been too late, but it's not and it is no use that you and Edward," he looked over at his brother who sat with his head in his hands as he stared at the floor. Bella could feel tears burn her eyes as she looked over at Edward.

"Like I was saying you and Edward cannot be divided on this. You love each other and you need to understand that as your boyfriend, Edward has the right to feel angry and betrayed. He feels as though he has failed you."

Bella shook her head as Edward looked up and nodded slightly at her.

"No, Edward, no! Baby this isn't your fault!" she hurried to say as she moved to go to him, but Jasper stopped her.

"I'm not finished; sit down." He ordered quietly.

Bella's eyes widened but she obediently sat down once more. Jasper nodded and continued, "Now the two of you need to settle this and then, Bella you need to make a decision to make an official complaint, because," he held up his hand when everyone began to protest loudly, "it is no use if you don't want to fight. This _will_ get out and you _will_ be unpopular and people _will_ talk trash behind your back, but if you stop it now, then he will do this to some other young woman who doesn't fight back."

Bella nodded slowly and Jasper smiled at her, "You are one of the strongest women that I know and I will do anything to protect you, Bells, so if you decide to press charges, you need to know that your 'uncles' and your 'brothers' are probably going to pay a visit to that asshole."

Bella looked up to see Tex, Garrett, Emmett, Peter and Edward all nodding with equally grim expressions on their faces. Their eyes were hard and steely and Bella felt a flash of sympathy for Mark Watson-Smythe but that only lasted for a second. She stared from one man to the other until her eyes came to rest on Jasper's calm gaze once more.

She bit her lip and took a deep breath before she gave him a nod, "Okay; you are right." She looked up at her 'uncles' and her family, "Of course you are all right. I should never have kept this to myself, but I hope that you all know," she looked at Edward meaningfully as her voice softened, "I hope that you all know that I am very sorry for not telling you. I don't have an excuse, except to say that I've been so used to 'handling' my life alone, that I really didn't think – I just didn't want to worry anyone else."

Tex cleared his throat, "Well, you're not alone Bells and you need to just get used to the fact that we are always going to worry about you, all of us, especially the doc there." He mumbled, giving Edward an apologetic glance.

Emmett clapped his hands, causing everyone to jump, "Okay! Enough with the talking! Let's get a plan together, Bella, do you have contact details for your faculty advisor or student advisor?"

Bella nodded with a frown, "Yeah, I don't think that I should speak to Abby, my student advisor, because she was the one that told me about the academic suicide thing." Bella bit her lip, "Um, I guess that I should either speak to Jill Claghton, my Student Teacher coordinator, or Professor Powell, my faculty head." She said quietly.

Emmett nodded, "Good; do that now. Come on guys, let's get the grill fired up and then we will show you boys how we do things in New England."

Peter laughed, "I've heard that you 'northern boys' are soft."

Emmett grinned at him, "We'll see how soft we are when we have a game of football later? Unless of course you boys are scared…"

Tex beat his chest and snarled, "Bring it, _maple-syrup-boy_!"

In that second the tough men became little boys as they hurried out with a wave of their hands and they jostled each other down the stairs.

Bella couldn't help laughing at their antics. When it was quiet again, she stood up and walked over to where Edward was still sitting on the sofa and stood between his open legs.

Edward's eyes were dark and somber as he ran his hands up the back of her jean covered thighs as he pulled her closer as his fingers curled along the inside seem of her jeans, making Bella shiver at the contact.

Edward leaned forward and rested his forehead on Bella's stomach with a sigh.

Bella curled over him and slid her hands down his back. She felt his muscles twitch with tension as she rested her head against him.

"I'm sorry, Baby. I promise that I will get better at this 'sharing' thing. You are so wonderful and patient with me and I know that I push you to your limits sometimes. Don't give up on me." Bella's voice was small and sad and Edward felt his heart contract painfully.

He moved back and pulled Bella onto his lap. Her hair covered them like a curtain as he kissed her wet cheeks, chin, nose, and finally her lips, "I will never give up on you, Isabella Swan. Don't you know that by now?"

Bella nodded as her arms tightened around his neck. "I love you Edward and I will try to never hide things from you again."

After a few moments of calming breaths and sweet, forgiving kisses, Bella stood up and wiped her face, "Okay, I need to phone my STC and you should go and see what the boys are up to."

"Are you sure that you want to be alone for this call?"

Bella thought about it and then shook her head, no, "I would like you to stay." She said finally.

She knew that she had said the right thing when Edward smiled broadly, "Good. Why don't we use Dad's office? He has the conference phone down there and it's more comfortable."

Bella quickly excused herself to wash her face and freshen up. She could see the dark shadows under her eyes and suddenly she realized how much energy had been sapped from her as she had tried to cope with everything herself.

"Never again," she said to her reflection as she quickly brushed her hair.

When they entered the main house, Bella could hear Alice and Rose talking to the children in the kitchen and with a squeeze of her hand, she walked in.

Alice smiled at her tentatively while Rose gave her an assessing look as she sent the four children outside to play, warning them to stay away from the barbeque.

"I, um, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way that I treated you earlier and I wanted to thank you for being here for me."

Suddenly she was engulfed in a hug from the two women. Alice was crying and when Bella looked at her in alarm she smiled through her tears and waved Bella off, "Hormones," she said by way of explanation, but she leaned forward and kissed her cheek impulsively, "Thank you Sis." She whispered, which made Alice begin to snivel even more.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Just go and do what you need to before she really starts to cry!" she said with a playful smile. Her blue eyes belied her tone of voice and she winked at Bella.

With a shaky breath Bella joined Edward in the study and Rosalie brought them a tray with coffee and hot milk before Bella pulled out her phone and dialed Jill Claghton number.

Jill was surprised to hear from Bella but she allowed Bella to take her time as she explained the reason for her call.

Back in her office at Johnson College, Jill Claghton was sitting at her desk as her phone rang.

"_This is Jill Claghton."_

"_Jill? Um, this is Isabella Swan, um Bella."_

_Jill smiled, "Hello Bella! Are you missing school already?" _

Bella gave a nervous laugh_, "Um, not really. Look, Jill, you said that I could call you at any time about anything right?"_

Jill stopped smiling. She could almost feel Bella's anxiety though the phone_, "Of course I meant every word, Bella. What is wrong?"_

Jill's face turned pale as she listened to what Bella began to tell her. After a few minutes, she interrupted her_, "Bella, I'm sorry dear, but I need to bring Professor Powell to my office, because she needs to hear this and I don't want to make this any more difficult on you by making you repeat yourself. Can you hold on for a few minutes?"_

"_Of course,"_ she said as she took a shaky breath.

She realized that she was gripping Edward's hand tightly and smiled sheepishly at him. He smiled and handed her coffee to her.

"Relax love." He said quietly.

Bella sipped her coffee and a few moments later Professor Powel introduced herself back into the conversation.

Bella introduced Edward and after that her professor and STC asked her a series of questions which Bella answered.

In Jill's office, Professor Powel and Jill were exchanging knowing looks as they took down dates, times and witnesses names. There had been rumors of Mark's 'dalliances' around campus and they had heard talk that some of his advances were not as welcomed as he made them out to be. No one had yet come forward. Until now.

Almost an hour later, Bella had told them everything that she could remember. Fortunately, from the time that Mark had come to live in the boarding house, Bella had kept a note of the incidences, no matter how inconsequential it had seemed at the time.

Maggie Powel was impressed that Bella had the forethought to make notes of their encounters and when she asked Bella why, Bella had answered simply that she had never trusted Mark's motives and she had voiced her opinion that it was unethical of him to share a house with some of his students.

Professor Powel strongly agreed and when she had asked why Bella had waited so long to come forward, Bella had quietly explained how she had wanted to handle it herself, mainly out of fear that she would not be believed. She reluctantly told her about the conversation that she had with Abby.

Maggie and Jill bristled when they heard what she had to say, but they agreed that they would give her a chance to explain herself before they took action against her.

Maggie sighed when Bella had told them everything that she had to say. "Bella, you are very brave to come forward, dear. This is going to take a while to clear up and I hope you understand that we are going to need to contact your housemates as well as the names of your witnesses to corroborate your story, but that is not because we don't believe you, it is so that we have a solid case."

There was a moment's silence before Jill spoke again, "Bella, I'm sorry, but I have to ask this question and it is one that will be asked again, I'm sure. Is there any way that you have perhaps misconstrued Professor Watson-Smythe's motives or actions? I mean…"

Bella sat forward in her seat, "I know what you mean Jill, and my answer is no, this is not something that I made up in my head, or imagined. I told Professor Watson-Smythe on numerous occasions that I was not interested in his attention and that I definitely wasn't interested in his advances."

"Bella; we believe you and I'm sorry that you feel that you have done something wrong. You have done nothing wrong. Now, let me tell you what we are going to do…"

Jill spent the next few minutes explaining how sexual harassment cases were generally handled. Bella would have to meet with Maggie, Jill and President Volturi, at which time she would have to confirm her statement and sign an official complaint form.

"Bella, I know that this is easy for me to say, but I don't want you to worry about this. I am going to contact President Volturi myself and I will speak to you later." Maggie said finally.

"Thank you for listening and believing me." Bella said quietly.

"Bella, there is no reason for us not to believe you. In the time that you have been at Johnson College you have proved yourself to be hardworking, diligent and honorable. Now, I know that this is upsetting for you but please try and enjoy your break."

When Edward disconnected the call he turned to see that Bella had slumped back on the sofa and he could see that she was shaking, her face pale and tense.

"I am so proud of you, Love." He said as Bella opened her eyes.

"I don't feel proud. I feel stupid and weak." She spat out as she got off the sofa and paced around the room.

"I am pissed off that I allowed him to have so much power over me! I fucking hate him!"

Edward watched as Bella ranted for a few minutes. He knew that she was finally releasing all of her pent up tension and fear that she had been carrying around for months.

Bella felt as if her head was going to explode with the anger that she was feeling. She needed to get it out.

"I need to run for a while; can you give everyone my apologies and tell them that I'll be back later?"

Edward nodded, "Of course. Just promise me that you'll take Roscoe with you and take your phone, please?"

Bella nodded, "Okay."

She changed into her running clothes and whistled for Roscoe before she turned down the driveway. Instead of going straight and over to Dorset Common, she turned left and headed into the orchards. At first she ran as if the devil himself was chasing her, but once the initial adrenalin rush was gone, she slowed down and jogged through the rows of apples trees. Here and there she saw workers and she raised her hand in greeting but didn't stop to talk.

She didn't want to engage in conversation. She was so tired of talking! Sometimes she missed the days when she wouldn't talk to another person for days or longer.

Beside her Roscoe kept abreast of his human charge. He kept his eyes peeled for any potential danger and his ears were tuned to any untoward noises. He was very protective of his humans and the girl next to him was special, to him and his master.

After another mile or so, Bella slowed down to a walk and finally she stopped next to a pear tree and began to stretch her legs and arms out before she walked over to one of the many water faucets and let clear cool water run into a small trough below it.

Roscoe drank deeply before Bella filled her water bottle and she also drank the cooling liquid.

Once she was finished she walked over and sat down beneath the tree. She let her legs stretch out in front of her as she rested her back and head against the tree and she let out a deep sigh.

Roscoe finished drinking his fill before he relieved himself and then made his way over to Bella. He flopped down and put his head onto her thigh. He could feel the tension in her body and when she touched his fur, he felt the slight tremor in her fingers. Immediately he scoped the area for any sign of danger and seeing none, he lay down once more.

Bella had stuck her earphones on and she was listening to one of the many classical recordings that Edward had put on her phone for her. As the strains of _*Nocturne _by Chopin played, Bella closed her eyes and let her fingers stroke through Roscoe's fur. Her breathing had slowed and she had left the red-hot rage behind her. She felt calmer and more in control as she used the exercises that Jasper had taught her and she emptied her mind of everything except the feelings and smells around her.

She could feel the cool earth beneath her, the gnarly bark at her back and the smell of rich soil, ripening fruit and sweet grass.

It could have been hours or minutes when her cell phone ring interrupted her trance-like state and her eyes popped open. She was shocked to see that the sky was already turning into the glorious colors of twilight.

"Hello?" she said and cleared her throat as her voice was thick with sleep.

"Hey Sweetheart, are you okay?"

Bella smiled, "I'm feeling much better thanks. Roscoe and I are just enjoying some fresh air in the pear orchard. We will be home soon."

"See you then. We are just about to sit down to dinner outside on the deck."

"I'm going to feed Ross and then shower, so please don't wait for me. I will see you soon."

Roscoe ran around Bella on their way back home. He knew that he was about to have dinner and by the smells, he could almost guarantee that he was going to have a large bone after dinner. Bella laughed at his antics and she led him up to her apartment where she made sure to feed him first before she stripped off and showered. She washed the day's disasters away and towel dried her hair before she put on a pair of skinny jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt and sneakers.

When they walked around the side of the house, Bella could see that there were more people than she had originally thought. There were several tables that had been set out in the backyard and the swimming pool had been closed and fenced off for the winter. There were at least twelve

Tex, Peter and Garrett had failed to mention that they had brought their families with them and Bella felt guilty for not having greeted them earlier, but Kate waved away her apologies as she explained that she and the other wives and their children had been out shopping until only a little while before.

They were all staying at Lauren and Embry's guest house that was full to almost overflowing with the festival almost upon them.

Bella looked over and saw that Makenna and Alistair, Billy and Sue and Jacob and Nessie had also joined the feast. She walked around and greeted everyone, making sure that she apologized to Makenna when she reached her table.

Makenna hugged her quickly and told her that she didn't need to explain her 'off' behavior. Bella and she made plans to have lunch in the next few days.

The rest of the evening was filled with stories of past festivals and a lot of laughter and good natured ribbing between the men.

Later as Bella and the rest of the women cleaned up the kitchen, Bella told them about the phone call to Maggie and Jill.

Everyone was outraged but they laughed as Alice made the most bloodthirsty comments of all of them.

It was almost ten o'clock and most of their guests had left, promising to see them the following day at the Blue Bonnet pumpkin picking and hayride event.

Bella's phone rang and she waved to Tex as he drove away, "Hello, this is Bella," she said.

"Miss Swan, this is Marcus Volturi, I'm sorry for calling you so late, but I have only just come out of a meeting with Professor Powel. Do you have a moment for me?"

Edward could see that Bella had tensed up as walked into the kitchen, "O-Of course I have time to talk to you, President Volturi."

Fortunately, Bella did not have to repeat her story again, but Marcus wanted to arrange a meeting with her for the following week. Surprisingly, he did not want to meet at the campus and instead, he arranged to meet her at his brothers' homestead, _Volturi Dairy Farm _and he assured her that the meeting would be held in private with only himself, Professor Powel, Jill and Mark. Abby had been summoned, but unfortunately she was away with her family and would only be back three days before school began. Bella asked if she could bring her 'family' and he gave her permission to bring whoever she wanted to for support. He thanked Bella for coming forward and wished her a pleasant weekend.

Bella put her phone down and looked over to where Edward was sitting, "He thanked me for speaking up…" she said.

"And so he should; Bella do you know how many institutions are rocked with scandal each year because of sexual harassment violations?"

Bella frowned, "Not that many?" she wasn't sure where he was going with this.

Edward nodded, "That's right love, not many because in spite of our progressive ways and our constitution that strives to protect women; they are still afraid that they won't be believed or that they will be treated like the criminal instead of the victim. Maybe standing up for yourself doesn't feel brave now, but when it stops the next visiting lecturer from thinking that he or she can just come here and take advantage of a student just because they are in a position of authority, then you will have done a great thing."

Edward saw the moment that Bella had her 'aha' moment. He watched as her eyes lit up as she finally grasped the possible consequences of her actions.

"Oh!" she said as her eyes widened and Edward couldn't help his smirk or the way his fingers twitched until he had Bella wrapped in his arms and he was smiling down at her, "Yes, 'oh'. Not such a bad thing now was it?"

Bella shook her head, "Take me to bed, Edward."

Edward muffled a groan as he dipped his head and covered her mouth in a searing kiss.

Edward took his time undressing her in his old bedroom. The moonlight shone through the open windows and Bella's skin looked iridescent in the silver light.

He covered her body with his ever so slowly, ignoring her not so silent pleas as he slowly and deliberately moved inside her, slowing even more to twist and pinch her nipples, or sucking them into his mouth, letting his tongue ring tease her, only to graze the distended bud with his teeth.

Bella was going crazy as the ball of the cock piercing crated a friction that was unbelievable. Her nails dug into the outline of the tattoo on his side.

"Fuck, Edward, please…" she begged without knowing what she was begging for.

Edward grinned and his teeth shone brightly against his night-darkened skin as he flipped her over and covered her back with his body. He reached beneath her and pinched her clit between his fingers as he began to lunge his cock deep inside her walls until she bit into the pillow and screamed as she found her release just before Edward bit down onto her shoulder as he climaxed so intensely that he thought he had passed out.

=====HS=====

Bree giggled when she walked into the kitchen the next morning. Bella was standing at the stove frying mushrooms and eggs.

"Morning Bree, what's so funny?"

Bree looked to make sure that her brother wasn't around, "I'm surprised that you can walk this morning, Bells." She said as she reached over and poured herself a mug of coffee.

Bella frowned, "What? Why – oh my God! Please tell me that you didn't hear us!" Bella begged.

Bree snorted, "I think that the whole of Hope Springs heard you!"

Bella groaned as Bree sniggered and stole a piece of bacon.

"Stop that, brat!"

"You are just embarrassed, as you should be, 'young lady'!" Bree said teasingly as she wagged a finger at Bella.

Bella rubbed her face with her hands before she glared at her young friend, "I bet you were not spanked enough as a child…" Bella mumbled just as Edward walked inside.

"Hmm, that smells delicious love. Who wasn't spanked enough? You want me to spank you?" he said in one breath as he walked over and kissed the back of Bella's neck.

"Ewww! Edward! That is gross! I'm telling Mom that two are even freakier than I thought!" Brianna said loudly.

Edward's head whipped around as he glared at his sister, "What the hell are you talking about, Squirt?"

"I mean; you realize that your room isn't sound proofed like the parents is, right?" she said as she tossed her bronze hair over her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow at her brother.

Even Bella was amused to see the tips of Edward's ears turn pink as her words sank in.

"Well, um, yeah… so I guess you heard us last night?" he said sheepishly.

Bree rolled her eyes, "You should be asking who didn't hear you! I reckon that Mom and Dad will be mighty interested in the 'example' that you have been setting for me…"

Edward's eyes narrowed, "Little blackmailer, what's your price?"

Bree tapped her chin as Bella almost burned their breakfast listening to their insane conversation.

"You are not seriously considering going along with this are you?" she asked Edward aghast.

Bree smirked, "He will if he knows what's good for him!"

"Just cut to the chase, you little tyrant, what do you want?" he growled.

Bree was completely unaffected by Edward's snarling and she stared at him for a moment, "Okay then; I want to the _All Night Festival Rave_ with Riley, without adult supervision."

Edward was shaking his head, "You are insane! No fu-freaking way, kid, forget it!"

Bree glared at him, "Why not E? Come on! All of you have gone, so why not me?"

"Because I know what happens there, Brianna, so no! Just no." Edward's face was a grim mask as he sat down and shook out the morning paper, purposefully ignoring Bree as her light green eyes began to tear up.

Bella put Bree and Edward's plates on the breakfast counter but Bree stood up, "I'm not hungry!" she snapped.

Edward was about to pull rank when Bella surprised him by putting a restraining arm on Bree's.

"Brianna, please sit down and eat, sweetie. Come on, let's all calm down. I'm sure after breakfast we can see if there isn't some sort of compromise…" Edward opened his mouth but changed his mind when Bella gave him a steely look.

Bella was tired when breakfast was finished. Edward and Bree had shot daggers over the table at each other while they each separately engaged Bella in conversations.

Bella felt as if she was at a tennis match, they were so damn childish and only one of them was an adolescent!

Finally Bella pushed herself away from the counter and she stalked across the kitchen to rinse her plate and put it in the dishwasher. She heard Bree hiss, "See? You irritate her just like you irritate me."

"Enough!" Bella spun around and glared at the siblings with her hands on her hips, "That is enough! Bree, I don't think that you heard us last night, because you were fast asleep when we went to bed. You made that up just to be able to blackmail your brother, didn't you?"

Bree bit her lip before she gave a half shrug and a quick nod, "Yes, okay, yes! Are you happy now?"

Edward half stood up, "Why you little..."

"And as for you!" Edward spun around and stared at Bella with big eyes as he pointed to his chest.

_Me?_

"Yes you! Sit down and act your age and not your shoe size! Honestly, Edward! Is this place, this 'rave' for over eighteens?"

Edward sighed and shook his head.

"Okay; are over eighteens let in?"

Again Edward shook his head.

"Is security strict? Do they check for alcohol and drugs?"

Edward gave Bella a pleading look but she just hardened her glare and he nodded silently.

"Well, okay. I think that Brianna, you need to speak to _all_ of your brothers, even though Edward is the one responsible for you and you need to make sure that they are all on board with you going. You also need to stick to whatever ground rules and curfew that they set. Do you agree?"

Bree looked from Bella to Edward who was gazing admiringly at his girlfriend.

"Okay." Bree said.

Bella looked at Edward, "Do you agree to speak with Jasper and Emmett later on?"

Edward nodded, "Okay."

"Good now hug on it and then you can both clean up the kitchen because I'm going to take a shower and get dressed because I'm meeting the girls in an hour." She said and breezed out the room.

Roscoe stared at the human with a pitying look before he followed his special human. She was awesome, he thought.

Bree and Edward shared a look before they grinned at each other, "Wow! Who would have thought: Bella Swan; Mom Extraordinaire?" Bree said with a touch of wonder in her voice.

Edward chuckled, "Yeah, she is going to make an awesome mom and teacher. I'll phone Jazz and Em and set up a time; hey do you want to grab some lunch with us later, we were just going to meet down at the pub?"

"Thanks E that sounds like fun."

Bree and Edward made their way upstairs to shower and change, while Bella had mumbled to herself all the way into the shower. She could not believe who juvenile they were! No wonder Esme cried for two months when she found out that she was pregnant with Brianna!

Thinking of Esme caused Bella to wonder what she and Carlisle would say when they found out about Bella's upcoming harassment complaint. She paused as the hot water ran down her body worrying that they would be angry at her for causing problems, but then she reminded herself that they were nothing like the Rawlings or even the staff at the children's home. They loved her and had never shown her anything but love and kindness.

When Bella heard the bathroom door opening, she, she turned with a smile only to see Edward pushing his sleep pants down his hips.

She couldn't help but lick her lips as he opened the shower door.

They teased each other as they washed and got ready for their day. Bella enjoyed a day of shopping and girl time with Makenna, Angela, Alice and Rosalie, as well as Kate, Melissa and Rebecca, who was married to Tex while Briana, Edward, Emmett, Tex, Peter, Garrett and Jasper met up for lunch. Bree was only too happy to keep an eye on the younger children while she sat outside chatting to Garrett and Kate's two older children. After lunch they took the children to the all day carnival in nearby Reading.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by with an apple and pumpkin parade down Main Street, which kicked off the festivities on Friday evening before everyone made their way to the many stalls that had been set up along the street, in parking lots and on the town square.

There were apple pie eating competitions, bobbing for apples, and it seemed as if there were at least a hundred different apple and pumpkin dishes to sample and buy.

The smell of baked apple and fresh pumpkin pie permeated the air and Edward chuckled as Bella pulled him from one stall to the next. Thankfully he had remembered to bring his mother's old wicker basket, which was piled high by the time that they walked back to Edward's truck.

Bella was giggling as she watched Tex, Peter and Garrett bobbing for apples along with some younger children and getting their asses handed to them.

Edward loved to see Bella so relaxed and happy and he couldn't resist pulling her tighter against his side. Suddenly he had the distinct impression that he was being watched. Earlier in the evening he had shaken off the same eerie feeling when he couldn't find the cause of the feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Bella stepped away from him for a moment, "I'm just going to find out what time Alice and Rose will be at the house in the morning. We are entering our new Spicy Apple sauce into the 'Novice' Invention Contest." She said, Bella, Alice and Rosalie had been working on their 'secret' sauce for weeks; everyone in the family had become weary of volunteering their taste buds after a while.

Edward kissed her cheek before she shooed him off, "I just want to take off my sweater, I'm too warm." She said and Edward tossed her the keys and walked towards the festivities.

Main street and the surrounding blocks had been cordoned off to traffic for the duration of the weekend, but he had been allowed to park his truck in Jacob Black's garage lot seeing as he was on call for the weekend. Already there had been a barrage of minor spills and scrapes and it seemed as if there was a steady flow of people, young and old that had overindulged.

"Edward!"

He looked over to where Jasper was waving at him. He locked the basket in the truck and made his way over to where Jasper sat on a bench, holding a sleeping and very dirty looking Brady on his shoulder.

"He couldn't stay awake, huh?" Edward said as he ran his hand gently over his nephew's sandy hair.

Jasper chuckled, "Nah, he crashed about twenty minutes ago, after puking up the four toffee apples that he had begged off other people!"

Edward's eyebrows shot up, "Four?"

Jasper rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah, and did I tell you that he threw up all over Mrs's Cope's corner display of polished apples and Jack-o'-lanterns?"

Edward threw his head back and laughed loudly, only sobering a little when he saw Mrs. Cope throw first Jasper and then him a dirty look as poor Mr. Cope stood with mop and bucket, cleaning off the bright red sticky mess.

"Where are Alice and Chels?"

Jasper waved his hand, "Around somewhere spending my hard earned cash!" he joked.

Edward sniggered and he looked around to see where Bella was. He stilled as he slowly combed the crowded area, but he didn't spot her bright red shirt anywhere amongst the crowd.

Jasper noticed the perplexed frown on his brother's face, "What's wrong?"

"I can't see Bella. She was going to talk to Rosie and Alice, but they are over there by Angela and Sue's preserve stall." Edward felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as he began to stride across the street.

"ALICE! ROSE!" he shouted and several people turned around because of the blatant panic in his voice. Roscoe had been padding silently at his heels, but he stopped in the middle of the road.

Where was his Bella? Roscoe sensed danger, but couldn't pinpoint where it came from. He lifted his shaggy head and sniffed the air. He allowed the other smells to wash over his nose, people, pies, food… and then he caught the whiff of something… Bella and….

His hackles rose.

"What is it boy?" Jasper said quietly as he shifted and put Brady on the seat next to him. Jessica came over as Jasper quietly asked her to look after his son.

"Show me." Jasper said as he crouched down next to Roscoe.

Roscoe turned and looked back the way that he and Edward had come.

Yes, definitely that way. He turned and began to walk in a predatory manner towards the darkened parking lot at the end of Main Street. Jasper followed closely behind.

"What's the matter?" Rose said before Edward reached them.

"_Have you seen Bella? Was she here with you just now_?" Even to his own ears he sounded high-pitched and terrified.

Alice frowned, as she shook her head, "What? No, but why are you so upset, E? She could be…" she began.

"_She isn't!_ She said that she was going to be here with you and she isn't! I can't see her anywhere!" Edward's eyes had turned almost black with fear and panic.

He swung around and scanned the crowds. A movement in his peripheral vision made him turn towards Jacob Black's open lot with a frown. W_hat the_… a sudden flash of red and a muffled scream caused Edward's heart to crash in his chest.

Bella!

"BELLA!" he shouted as he ran. Tex had noticed Edward's tense frame run across the road and so when he ran by them, Tex slapped Garrett on the back before he took off after Edward. He was fit, but Edward was fast. He heard shouts behind him and watched as Edward cleared the road barriers that had been set up in one leap.

Roscoe broke into a run and Jasper didn't recognize the deep, warning growl that came from the normally mild mannered dog.

Main street had been cordoned off one block before Black's Garage and so the area around was deserted.

=====HS=====

Bella smiled as she watched Edward walk away. She thought of the old saying, 'hate to see you go but I love to watch you leave' and giggled.

As she closed the door and pressed the lock on the remote someone breathed on the back of her neck. Bella swung around thinking that Emmett or Peter were playing a joke on her, but she stumbled back against the door of the truck when she saw Mark Watson-Smythe standing a foot away from her.

His usual arrogant smirk and teasing eyes were gone and in their place was a grim expression and dark, furious eyes.

His hands hit the top of the truck on either side of Bella's head making her jump in fear.

"What the fuck did you say to that fucktard Volturi, Isabella? Why has he demanded to see me tomorrow morning?" Mark hissed as he leaned forward. Bella tried to shrink back against the door as much as possible and she felt bile rise up in her throat as she felt his hips press against her stomach.

"Get the fuck off me Professor! I warned you time and time again to stay away from me. I told you that I wasn't interested but you kept on with your disgusting insulations and…"

Bella didn't see the hand that seemed to come out of nowhere and slap her face so hard that she hit her head on the doorframe.

"I'm disgusting? Really? You little fucking cocktease! You think that your doctor can satisfy you? YOU ARE NOTHING! NOTHING! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?" he screamed before he leaned down and snarled in her face, "Because I know who you are, _Isabella Swan_." Bella was holding her cheek as she watched a switch flip in Mark's eyes and the fury took hold.

Bella had seen it before, she had watched this happen to Simon often enough to know that what happened next and what she did next was of the utmost importance.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

Mark straightened up and let out a manic laugh, "Oh yes! I know who you are! I have done some research on you, _miss-fuck-em-and-leave-em_! You were fucking Simon Rawlings from when you were fourteen, you ran away and got knocked up and you probably sucked cock all the way from Phoenix to Vermont, didn't you?"

Bella felt the blood drain from her face and she gripped the door handle to stop herself from falling.

"What? No, that's not true!"

Mark clicked his tongue, "Bella, Bella, such lies. I know that you had an abortion in Woodstock, you see, I had you checked out. Yeah, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, I needed to know why you rush home every chance you get. Well you would never be good enough to join my family, but these hillbillies seem happy to have you around. Tell me do the brothers and the father pass you around, hmmm?"

Bella heard the slap of her hand on Mark's cheek. She reached up and spat in his face, "You DISGUSTING PIECE OF SHIT!" she roared as she brought her knee up at the same time that she launched herself off the truck.

Mark let out a howl as he dropped to his knees. "FUCKING BITCH!"

Bella whirled around and without another thought she punched the side of Mark's head, not even hearing the crunch as her metacarpal bones cracked on her third and fourth fingers of her left hand.

"I might be a bitch, _but I will never be your bitch_!" Bella growled and she turned away to get to Edward as quickly as possible.

Mark reached out and grabbed her ankle and Bella fell onto the asphalt with a cry of pain.

Suddenly Mark felt something sharp bite into his wrist and he let out a frightened scream as a blur of black and tan fur began to wrestle with him.

Mark felt warm blood trickle down his arm as the dog or wolf continued to bit and snarl.

"GET IT OFF ME!" Mark screamed as he tried to curl into a ball. Roscoe lifted his head and bit down again, this time going for Mark's face.

Mark heard the bone and cartilage crack as pain exploded in his head.

"ROSCOE – STAY!" Emmett ordered and Roscoe moved immediately to stand in front of Bella, his teeth gleaming, ready to pounce again.

Edward jumped forward and was about to punch him when he felt arms restrain him from behind.

"EDWARD! Stop! Edward! Remember who you are. Bella needs you." Jasper's voice rang out as the red haze cleared and Edward saw Bella crouched on the ground.

"I'm sorry, Bella, love, I'm so sorry." He whispered as he picked her up. She opened her shaking hand and Edward snatched the keys from it.

"Good boy, Roscoe. Good boy." He said quietly.

He wasted no time before he put her into the front seat and ran around to the driver's side. Roscoe jumped into the back before Edward started the truck and peeled out of the parking lot.

Mr. and Mrs. Cope had been making their way home when they had heard Bella's cry when Mark hit her. Mr. Cope wanted to help but Mrs. Cope held on to his jacket out of fear that he would get hurt.

"Get Emmett," Mr. Cope had urged as he ran across the road, shouting 'HEY! STOP THAT!' as loudly as he could.

"She's there!" Don Cope shouted and Edward ran forward but by that time, Roscoe and Jasper had reached Bella and the man and Roscoe took him down with brute force.

Don watched as Sherriff Jasper pulled the man to his feet and two of the out of town visitors gripped the man's arms.

Mrs. Cope came huffing and puffing up the road, shaking and sweating and Don thought that his wife was going to have a heart attack.

The Cope's watched as Edward sped away with Bella in his truck while the sheriff and two other men frog marched the man that had attacked Bella down the street to the Sherriff's office.

Mrs. Cope turned to Don with a wide-eyed look of excitement and fear, "I wonder (huff) what that (huff) was about? (huff)" she panted.

Don shook his head, "I have no idea, but I think that she did a sterling job of fighting back. Come on, wife, let's keep our noses out of it."

Felicity Cope was already shaking her head as her mind spun with possibilities, "Oh no, I need to see if there is anything I can do!" she protested as Don put a firm grip on her arm and pulled her towards their home.

"What are you going to do; put postage stamps on him and send him on his way?" Don snorted.

"But you don't understand – I'm a government employee!"

Don could hardly contain his laughter, "You run a post office, my darling, not the FBI, or though to hear you, one would never think so!"

Peter, Alice, Rosalie and Garrett gathered the rest of the family and while the women went back to the boarding house to put the children to sleep, Alice and Rosalie took their children to the main house and put them to bed in their bedrooms. They had seen Edward's truck outside the office when they had driven by and they hoped that they would be home soon.

Rosalie carried the four children into the spare bedroom, and between her and Alice, they had them washed and changed into pajamas that Esme kept for them and into their beds in a short time.

Once they were finished, they made their way downstairs and Alice made a large thermos of hot chocolate before she and Rosalie made their way into the sitting room and waited.

=====HS=====

Edward pulled up to his office and he sprang out, not bothering to close his door. He pulled the passenger door open and Bella flinched as he reached for her.

"Easy girl, it's just me." He cooed.

He held Bella bridal style as he marched to the front door and unlocked it by balancing Bella on his bent knee. Roscoe immediately went to the bowl of water that was kept fresh in the corner of the room and drank from it.

_Humans tasted vile. He hoped that he didn't catch any germs from that monster._

Once inside, Edward made his way to his office and flicked the overhead light on before he gently put Bella onto the examination table.

The only way that he was going to be able to handle her injuries without screaming or losing his mind was if he went into 'doctor mode' – so that is what he did.

He began to gently probe and examine Bella from the top of her head. His eyes avoided hers as he swallowed convulsively as he gently touched her red and purple cheek.

"I don't think that this is broken. Did he hit you with a flat hand or a fist?" he asked as he stared at her mouth his voice soft and without any emotion.

Bella had stopped shaking and she frowned as she stared at Edward, "Um, a flat hand, I think, I wasn't really watching him, Edward." She said.

Instead of retorting or commenting as he usually would Edward stiffened, "I'm sorry, of course you weren't. Can you put your arms out for me?"

Bella hissed as she turned her hands for Edward to see the scraped skin on the palms and she gasped at the pain of her knuckles grinding.

"What is it?"

Bella pulled her injured hand against her chest, "I punched him and I think that I hurt myself."

She noticed that Edward had gone deathly pale and still and she waited anxiously for him so say something.

"Edward?" she said after a couple of minutes of taught silence. She could see the anger and hurt that flittered across Edward's face before it settled once again in the impartial, blank face that he had worn ever since they had arrived at his office.

"Edward!"

Edward's eyes snapped and he cleared his thought, "Right, okay relax your hand", he ordered as he gently put her hand on the small metal table.

Bella's eyes filled with sudden tears, "I want to go home." She said quietly.

Suddenly Edward's mask slipped and Bella heard the soft curse before a gentle finger tipped her chin up. Her eyes were swimming with tears as she looked into his lighter, clearer green gaze.

"Don't cry, my little love. I just need to check your hand and then we will go home, I promise. You are okay, now, Bella. You are safe. I'm so sorry that I failed to protect you, baby. I will never forgive myself for letting you down again."

Bella gasped at his words and Edward was shocked as she burst into tears, the pitiful sounds of her heartbreaking sobs echoed in the room.

"Fuck it!" Edward muttered as he pushed the table aside and pulled Bella onto his lap and began to rock her gently as he covered her with his arms and body, almost like a protective shield.

Edward had no other thought than Bella's safety and comfort as he held her. He ignored his aching arms and his vibrating phone as he continued to hum one of the tunes that she loved.

"You didn't l-let me down," Bella's tear thickened voice broke the silence.

"He said oh God, Edward; he knows about my past, he said some terrible things, untrue things about me and your family. He insinuated that you, God, that you and your brothers 'share' my services." Bella said as she looked at her lap, studiously avoided his gaze.

"That fucking asshole! I should have killed him!" Edward fumed as he put Bella to one side and stood up only to punch the wall. Bella cringed at the sound and began to shake so hard that her teeth began to chatter which brought Edward back to his senses and he picked Bella up gently and once again held her against his chest.

Roscoe lay at their feet, staring at Bella.

"She's going to be just fine, boy. You did so good." Edward said quietly and Roscoe closed his eyes, pleased that he had done a good job.

When the tremors had stopped, Edward moved to clean her cuts and scrapes that were thankfully minor he gently kissed her knuckles and x-rayed it, thankful that the practice had outlaid the money for the new machine, so that they could treat injuries quickly instead of having to redirect everyone to neighboring hospitals.

When Edward saw the two hairline cracks he strapped her fingers up and then her hand with waterproof tape much like duct tape to hold them together as they healed and to prevent further injury.

Bella hadn't moved or said a word the whole time that Edward worked and when he was finished his; "Ready to go home?" was only met with a nod.

Edward saw all the cars in front of the main house when he pulled around the driveway. He watched as Emmett, Jasper and Garrett came outside, followed closely by Jake and Eric.

Edward opened Bella's door but was annoyed when he couldn't pick her up as his hand was sore and swollen where he had punched the wall.

"Edward," Emmett said quietly as he helped Bella down from the truck.

Edward nodded, "I just want to take Bella upstairs."

"No! No." Bella said. She looked at Emmett, "Is Rose here?"

Emmett nodded, "She's inside, Sis."

He noticed the bandage on her hand and smirked as he cocked an eyebrow, "You fall over again Bella?"

Bella smiled for the first time since leaving the carnival, "I had a run in with a jerk; the jerk came off second best."

"Badass!"

"Yeah, but I broke my hand."

Emmett looked over at Edward, "Broke it?"

"She just cracked a couple of bones." Edward clarified.

That caused a rumble, "Well, we can't have that now can we? Looks like we got to get you some self-defense lessons, Little One." Garrett said as he looked around.

All of the men were nodding in agreement.

Bella let out a laugh and rolled her eyes as she walked up the steps to the main house, "I did kick him in the nuts; he dropped like a stone!" she said as she walked inside.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Jacob said.

Eric sighed softly and stared at his friends, "I think that we should use Miss Tessa's and give the women in this town some classes. This can never happen again." He said grimly.

They all agreed. Jasper told them that he had contacted the authorities and that Mark was being held without bail until the following week because he was considered to be a flight risk.

They were happy to hear that the assistant DA was taking the attack very seriously, especially as Mark had been Bella's teacher and there was a pending investigation against him for sexual harassment from the college. The men spoke a little longer, but soon they had gone home and back to the guest house.

The three brothers sat on the porch sat talking quietly. Alice had brought out three steaming mugs of hot chocolate, laced with Carlisle's Irish Whiskey and she asked them to give her, Rose and Bella some space as they tended to her.

"Where is he?" Edward asked quietly as he flexed his stiffened and swollen hand.

Jasper snorted, "The hospital in Reading. Your dog did a real number on his wrist and his face. I thought that you were going to lose it completely there for a minute. Mom and Dad are going to send you to anger management classes if you carry on like this," he teased, "but Roscoe was totally awesome. He was like a fucking wolf!"

Edward grinned in agreement.

He flexed his hand and grimaced only just noticing that his hand was red and swollen from where he had punched the wall in his office.

Edward tried to protest but Jasper just reached out and pulled his hand closer. "Fuck, bro, you did a number and a half here. Em, can you fetch dad's bag from his office?"

Edward opened his mouth but Emmett gave him a mock-glare, "What Ed? You can't have help?"

Edward snapped his mouth shut and gave a curt nod.

Jasper was bent over his hand but his fingers were gentle as he felt the bones carefully.

Edward smiled as he looked at the blonde hair, "Do you even know what you are doing there, Brother?"

Jasper looked up and Edward was struck by how much he looked like Carlisle, his calm demeanor and warm blue eyes that missed nothing.

"I did go to med school, you know." His easy smile faded, "I'm worried about how Bella is going to cope with this latest drama. She has adjusted so well to her life and now I'm afraid that this is going to set her back."

Edward nodded, "Yeah, and she likes to run when she's scared or threatened."

Jasper looked at him in surprise, "She is not going to run, Edward. You just have to be patient with her."

Emmett walked back outside and put Carlisle's black bag on the floor. He put a beer down next to Edward and one next to Jasper before he took a long swig from his own bottle and sat down on the porch swing.

"Is she okay?" Edward said.

Emmett nodded with a shake of his head, "She's more worried about Roscoe and she is insisting that she give him a thorough examination! She is one tough cookie, that girl of yours, Ed." He took another sip of his beer, "She is amazing."

Jasper strapped Edward's hand and wrist up as a precaution and after about twenty minutes the three men headed inside only to find Alice, Rosalie and Bella in the sitting room, giggling as Bella described how Roscoe had attacked Mark again, while the hero of the hour lay in front of the fire, lapping up the admiring glances and Bella's small fingers as she stroked his fur.

"I'm telling you, Roscoe Cullen was awesome! He must have leapt about four feet in the air and he just landed right on Mark and bit the shit out of his arm! When Mark screamed like a bitch, Ross just turned around and bit his face off! You are getting treats for a month, Mister!" she said as she leaned down and kissed his head.

Roscoe's eyes rolled in pleasure; he could definitely get used to this.

Edward walked over to where Bella sat and stroked the back of her hair gently, "How are you, love?"

Bella turned over bright eyes to him and he could see that she was feeling very little pain and discomfort. He looked at Alice with a frown, "How much has she had to drink. Alcohol isn't a good idea with shock."

"She had two shots of whiskey, but she is fine, Edward. Really." Alice said.

Bella giggled, "I am fine, Babe, well except for the fucking black eye I'm probably going to have. Tell me, do you guys get lessons on how to hit girls. I mean, one shot and WHAM! It's like a thousand fucking stars explode! Why do guys do that?" Bella said.

No one laughed. Instead they sat stared at each other and then at Bella.

She looked up from stroking Roscoe, "What? It was a joke." She said.

Edward looked at her before he got onto his knees in front of her and cupped her bruised cheek gently in his hand.

"Not every man hits, Love. Real men don't use their fists to 'talk' or 'argue'. Real men, men with character use words to communicate." He said quietly as he swallowed against his sudden nausea.

Bella looked around and noticed that everyone nodded in agreement. Then she bit her lip, "Hmm, is it me then? Do I set them off?"

"No! Bella, this isn't you! This is about men who can't control themselves and think that it's okay to bully and hurt women and children! _This is not your fault_." Edward said urgently.

Bella nodded but didn't say anything more.

Edward looked around the room helplessly until Jasper smiled at him sympathetically "Bells?"

Bella looked at Jasper, "We love you and we are all here for you."

Bella smiled sadly.

"We should get some rest, we have the hay rides tomorrow. It's going to be an early start with the kids and all. We will all need to pitch in and help." Emmett said suddenly and everyone agreed.

Jasper excused himself as he and Emmett locked up and Jasper went to make a call to get a latest update on Mark, while Edward and Bella went back to her apartment.

Edward made sure to check all the locks twice at Bella's insistence and she settled Roscoe onto his plush cushion in the corner of the sitting room.

She had bathed and changed into a pair of Bree's sleep pants and a tank top earlier and she discarded the oversized hooded sweatshirt that she had pulled from Edwards's closet before she climbed into bed.

Edward undressed quickly and slid in beside her, and Bella quickly curled onto his chest.

"It's going to be okay, Bella. We are all here for you." He said into the darkness.

Bella stared at the full moon outside her bedroom window and sighed.

"I hope so." She said quietly before she closed her eyes against the sudden burn of unshed tears.

If that was the truth, then why did it feel as if nothing would ever be okay again?

_**A/N: Wow – just writing this chapter tired me out! So, Roscoe was the hero of the day! Don't you just love him? My own 'Roscoe' is the most amazing guard dog and his laid back air fools a lot of people into thinking that he won't defend us, but he is wonderful (as long as you are not a butterfly, moth or spider...)!**_

_**I must apologise for being so tardy with my updates, but the last few months have just been so darn hectic. Please forgive me.**_

_**Love and hugs,**_

_**Michele**_

_**Here is a note from the world's best Beta, Fee!**_

_**Some Rec's all from TWCS, as I am still banning FanFiction for what they have done over there. **_

**Fatherhood, Formula, and Other F Words by anhanninen **

When man-whore, foul-mouthed Edward's life takes an unexpected turn, he's left with a baby to raise. With the help of a friendly neighbor, he learns sometimes the unexpected could be the best thing that's ever happened. _I like this little story, anhanninen, does not mince her words or drag the story out. Quick read and enjoyable._

**Edroar the Angry Lion by Tropical Sorbet**

Edroar the Angry Lion frightens all the girls and boys at Cullen Publishing with his loud roar. Will his new massage therapist Bella Swan run away like all the rest, or can she tame this savage beast? AH/AU OOC – _If you have not been reading this one do, I got to the latest chapter and was disappointed there was no 'next' to click. I love the names she comes up with for Edward, the only problem I have is I want to know why Edward is soooo angry, what happened in his life for him to feel that having friend in life is a waste of time. But it is all about her setting up the plot._

**To Have and To Hold by Shahula **

One night of passion leads to big changes for Bella as she faces the consequences. But will she fess up to their actions or keep the forbidden romance going? Is he hers to have and to hold or will he be another's before its all over? AH, BxE – _This one here surprised me, once again an easy read but rather enjoyable. If you are not a lover of Rosalie than this is a story for you, she is one piece of work, no thought for anyone but herself. Be warned the last couple of latest chapter left me reaching for the tissue's and you will to._

**The Perfect Trade by eternallyinlove**

Bella's father is knee deep in debt and can't afford to pay. So, when James Cullen comes to deal out the punishment, Charlie decides to get rid of his debt by trading his daughter, Isabella, to the Cullen Mafia. Dark Themes, OOC – _This one here is a new story and only has 8 chapters at the moment but it is one that will make you want to pull your hair out at Charlie. We have not met the infamous Edward yet but I know he is not to far away._

**Resisting the Inevitable by Emotion Masen**

After guest hosting on a morning show, Isabella becomes the new co-cost for the show. Her husband James leaves her out of spite and jealousy and Bella swears off men to focus on her new career change. Edward Cullen was known for being a portentous, arrogant, son of a bitch while running a branch of Masen Enterprises. After the death of his grandfather, Edward becomes the new CEO. His soul focus is on the expansion of the company, and to find out who has been stealing from and framing his grandfather. When Edward visits the morning show to defend the honor of his grandfather's legacy, he finds his self extremely attracted to the beautiful co-host Isabella. In the occurrence of unexpected events the pair cannot seem to stay away from each other. How long can they resist the inevitable? – _This one is a bit of a who done it story and has a sequel called __**Facing The Inevitable**__, I loved this story and kept me going while I was at home in bed sick for two weeks. Actually all of these stories did. It was a fun read and never got to the point of silly as some of these stories do, it had a wonderful flow to it and I would read it again. _

**Vindicated by Jacklynnfrost**

Bella is kidnapped into the human trafficking business, and is saved by her virginity. She is given to a mafia son, Edward and is trapped with him in his home. She hated everything that is happening to her, and through it all, she manages to make great friends, and find love in the strangest of places. When things get violent, and the perpetrators seemed to have gotten away with their terror strike, secrets about the whole operation are revealed. Its fight back, or turn on your brothers, feeding into the fathers sick game. When it's more than your own life on the line, the distinction between right and wrong get blurry and blood gets spilled. – _OMG what an amazing story, James in this is one sick bastard and what these ladies go through just to feel normal… well lets just say, I am glad my life is so normal. The only thing a little disappointing is the end feels rushed… she could have turned this into a wonderful sequel, and it sort of let the end down, but take a shot you might feel different._

**Mix Up by Runs with Vampires**

What happens when two very busy people send two clueless people to pick up their babies from daycare? Bella Swan and Edward Cullen are in for a rough day but it may just have some nice repercussions. R&R please. – _Just what the title says it is, with a bit of everything thrown in. Good read and I enjoyed it._


	29. Chapter 29  Time flies and then it's Ch

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

HOPE SPRINGS

_**She had bathed and changed into sleep pants and a tank top at the main house and she discarded the oversized hooded sweatshirt that she had pulled from Edwards's closet before she climbed into bed.**_

_**Edward undressed quickly and slid in beside her, and Bella quickly curled onto his chest.**_

"_**It's going to be okay, Bella. We are all here for you." He said into the darkness.**_

_**Bella stared at the full moon outside her bedroom window and sighed.**_

"_**I hope so." She said quietly before she closed her eyes against the sudden burn of unshed tears.**_

_**If that was the truth, then why did it feel as if nothing would ever be okay again?**_

**CHAPTER 29 – Time flies and then it's Christmas again...**

The fallout from Mark's attack was over quickly. Mark was swiftly fired from Johnson State College, more women came forward and one even admitted that he had coerced her into sleeping with him.

Mark was charged with an assortment of crimes, the most serious being Assault. It only took a few days in detention before Mark pled guilty to the charges and was deported back to Britain, with a lifelong ban on him being allowed into the USA.

Thankfully, there was no court case and Bella's name was kept out of the press, and Caius Volturi issued a very strongly worded statement when he called a special assembly of staff and students in which he stated that anyone who felt that they were being harassed at school for whatever reason, had the right and obligation to bring it to his personal attention. He also asked that if anyone heard of any wrong doing, they were to report it, regardless of their personal opinions.

Abby had apologized to Bella for her advice, but instead of being fired as a Student Advisor, Caius made sure that she and her peers were sent on a Sexual Harassment counseling course.

Mrs. B could not stop apologizing to Bella for allowing 'that monster' into her home.

The uproar soon died down and things returned to 'normal'. Bella was quieter around her friends, but she told them how grateful she was for their support and for the fact that they had helped her to stand up to Mark.

Bella had surprised Edward and Jasper by not reacting more adversely to the attack. She earned everyone's respect and admiration with how she did not fall apart or run afterwards. She was clingier to some degree, which Jasper said was completely understandable, but as the days passed and her bruises had faded, Bella had been able to put what had happened to her into perspective.

Edward had been amazing and his patience was endless. A few extra sessions with Jasper had also helped and Bella had spent the remainder of her holiday making peace with what had happened.

Halloween came and went and Bella enjoyed helping the rest of the family and staff to decorate the apple orchard with all things Halloween before they opened up the specially lit pathway.

Bella stayed with Brady and Emma and handed out candy at the main house, while the older cousins, Jed and Chelsea were posted at the start of the 'Haunted Orchard' with Bree and Riley.

Also, all the women Hope Springs had been encouraged to sign up for Self-Defence classes that were held at Miss Tessa's Ballet School every Saturday morning for a month.

The men of Hope Springs found it entertaining to sit at the Purple Cow Diner or at Alistair's pub and to watch as the young and old ladies ran around town in their gym outfits.

Some were sexy, some were fun but some were outright scary. Such as Mrs. Cope in her bright pink, spandex uni-tard, bulging bosom and all. And Darla, with her orange leotard and tutu!

Emmett said that the sight forever ruined his eyes. But the funniest of all was that most of the women knew that their men were watching and loved to put on a show for them.

Until one Saturday morning when Jasper almost drove into a tree after he spotted his wife in skimpy black outfit as she 'stretched' in the open doorway of the hall.

Jasper stalked up to the hall, and barked at Randall, who had been appointed as the self-defense instructor that in future the women in his class should wear sweat pants and baggy tops 'for the safety of the rest of the _goddamn town_!' before he glared at Alice and walked away, slamming the front door shut.

Randall could not understand why most of the ladies fell about laughing as Jasper left and he wondered if there was something in the water…

Edward insisted on having a quiet family birthday and although it was sad not to have his parents home; they had all made a unanimous decision not to tell them about Bella's attack because they wanted Carlisle and Esme to enjoy the last leg of their prolonged holiday.

Carlisle and Esme had been invited to spend a month with friends in Hawaii and after speaking to the family, had decided to stay until just before Christmas.

Bella had insisted on cooking for the family and Edward was spoilt with all of his favorite food, as well as a cake that had a large '30' on it. Edward grumbled about growing old and Bella teased him about being her 'sugar daddy.'

=====HS=====

With only a few weeks to go until finals, Bella concentrated all of her efforts on studying and making sure that her final assignments were handed in. Her field work at Hope Springs Elementary had been a huge success and Seth Clearwater, the Principal had told her that he would be happy to have her back in her final year as a student teacher and that he had put her forward for a more permanent position once she had qualified.

Bella was beyond pleased. Her final year was mostly field work and working on her portfolio. She only had a few courses left to take and she was going to take summer school to complete those, so that she would be able to complete her student teacher semester and she would be able to graduate at the end of her third year. She would also be taking her licensure while working at HS Elementary as an assistant teacher, until she received her license to teach.

The way she had been working meant that she would be qualify and certified by her twenty second birthday and Bella couldn't wait.

She had received the best news the day before when she had received her results showing that once again, in spite of the upheaval from Mark, Bella had finished way ahead of her year, with a perfect 4.0 grade average and almost all of her credits for her sophomore year. She had already begun taking some of her English degrees courses for her junior year.

"Bella, are you ready? We have to leave now, love." Edward called from the bottom of the stairs and interrupted her daydreaming. With a last look in the mirror, Bella turned and walked out of Edward's bedroom.

Bella smiled shyly as she walked downstairs, and smoothed down her pretty black dress that she had purchased when she, Alice, Bree and Rosalie had gone shopping in Burlington earlier that month to finish their Christmas shopping and to buy outfits for the dinner.

After much deliberation between Alice, Rosalie and Bree, it was decided that they would all wear short formal dresses.

Rose chose a one shoulder, silver and black dress, that had a heavily bejeweled bodice and was form fitting from under the bust to her mid thigh. Bree had chosen a flirty bright blue and black dress that her brothers said was too short, but that suited her perfectly. It had a black wide sash around the waist and a blue and black feather detail that 'climbed' up from her waist across the bodice.

Alice was already in her sixth month of pregnancy and she had chosen to wear a soft lilac dress that was also sparkly and fitting over her breasts but fell in soft waves from under her breasts to mid thigh. Bella vetoed almost all of the dresses that the girls tried to dress her in until Alice showed her one that was the most conservative but also very sexy. At first Rosalie shook her head and deemed it, 'too old maidish'.

Bella shook her head and grabbed it from Alice as she stomped into the changing room.

"It's too damn short!" Bella mumbled as she slithered into the dress. Alice popped her head in and squealed as she handed Bella a pair of black strappy sandals and zipped the dress up.

"Perfect! Now put the shoes on," Alice glared at Bella, "don't make me do it for you, you know I will!"

Bella put the shoes on and was surprised when she realized that not only could she walk more than one step in them, but they were really comfortable.

The dress was made of black velvet and had a sweetheart neckline with a sheer black material that covered hear bare shoulders. Small silver beads ran around the high neckline and instead of looking plain and dowdy, it looked sexy and sophisticated.

Bella smiled as she remembered everyone's unanimous approval as she looked down at Edward's lust filled eyes.

"Fuck, you are breathtaking, Baby." He said as he stood in awe.

Bella snorted indelicately, "I was breathless when I had to pay almost three hundred dollars for this little ensemble!"

"So worth it," he smirked as he held out a wide collared black coat that she slipped into.

Bella was very careful with her money and she still fretted to part with money. The Cullen women had no such problems and over the months Bella had become more relaxed with spending her money, especially as Emmett had helped to set up her online access to her bank accounts so that she could keep track of where her money was.

When Bella had first received her inheritance, she had withdrawn five thousand dollars in cash, which she had 'hidden' throughout her apartment such as taped to the underside of her bed frame or in a Ziploc baggie under her claw foot bath and taped beneath one of the dresser drawers in her kitchen.

Edward had discovered her compulsion one morning when he was looking for one of his shoes and he happened to glance under the bed. When he confronted Bella; she flipped at having her privacy invaded but once her fury had died down, she broke down and admitted that she was afraid that her money was going to 'disappear' from her bank account and she didn't ever want to be homeless again.

Edward had asked her to speak to Jasper, which was easier than she thought it would be and she gradually was able to reduce the large amount of cash that she kept to allowing Edward to put a small wall safe in the back of her closet, where she now kept just a few hundred dollars as well as her credit card, a few pieces of jewelry that she had received as gifts that she didn't wear all the time and her passport. At first Bella had found that she would check the safe every night or whenever she was at the apartment, but gradually as she began to trust that the safe would still be there and that the family were not going to steal her money, she 'checked' less and less until she only went into the safe to retrieve her credit card when she went shopping or when she needed to use it for school supplies.

Edward's mouth gaped a little as he stared upwards from her sparkly silver sandals to her long legs, gently curved hips and up to her lovely face, "I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off you tonight."

Bella giggled as they walked into the garage.

"Wow, it really came down last night," she said as Edward nodded and opened her door, "It sure did, now come on Bells, it's freezing!" he urged and she hurried to climb into the front of his truck while Roscoe wasted no time in climbing through the seats into the back.

"Man! This is crazy!" he said as he started the car.

Bella nodded as she leaned forward and turned up the heater, letting the warm air flow inside.

They had spent the past few days at Edward's home and were on their way to welcome his parents' home with a large homecoming dinner that was being held in the small town hall/ballet studio/concert hall and indoor market space that was owned and run by Miss Tessa.

Miss Tessa was a rather large woman of an indiscernible age who lived at the end of Main Street in a large Georgian style home with her twelve cats and her current lovers/housemates, Stephan, a tall, quiet man who wore sunglasses twenty-four hours a day and made the most breathtaking wooden furniture and carvings. When he did speak, it was with a faint Romanian accent. Their partner or housemate, no one was quite sure which, was a middle aged woman called Siobhan. Siobhan dressed similarly to Tessa, spoke with a soft Irish accent and worked as a barmaid at Alistair's pub.

Tessa had arrived in Hope Springs almost fifteen years before to perform a touring production of _Swan Lake_ and she had never left. Five years later Stephan arrived and then Siobhan arrived to 'visit' and she moved in with the other two and never went home again.

Town rumor was that Miss Tessa had been married seven times and apparently had countless lovers. Her hair was long and blonde and was either curled around her shoulders or fashioned in some outrageous hair-do that James created for her every week.

Miss Tessa wore bohemian skirts, Hermes silk scarves, voluptuous blouses, flowing caftans and cork heeled espadrilles or soft leather boots and ballet slippers in all colors. In winter she had the softest purest wool shrugs, and floor length pashminas that arrived for her in the post from Paris, Milan and Madrid from past lovers or friends.

Miss Tessa was a legend in her own time and did nothing to dispel the rumors that flared up from time to time.

Carlisle and Esme had arrived back in the States four days before and in spite of their anxiety to get home, their children had convinced them to stay in New York and then in Burlington for a few days so that they could complete any last minute Christmas shopping that they needed to do and to be well rested for the celebratory dinner that was being prepared in their honor.

Bella, Makenna, Nessie and Sue had spent the past two days baking, preparing and cooking and Edward had only just dragged her away from their stove so that she could shower and change before they headed out to the hall where Alice and Rosalie were overseeing the décor, lighting and music and they had transformed the hall from a quaint, large room into a wonderland of fairy lights, round tables, covered with white and overlaid with sheer silver material, draped over the top.

Esme had been brushing her tears away from when they had driven through Woodstock and now as they drove down Main Street she could not help the small hiccupped sob from escaping as she saw the brightly lit front of her store.

"Carlisle, can we stop for a minute?" she asked.

Carlisle nodded and pulled into a parking space in front.

In the parking space where Esme would normally park stood a sign that was at least five feet tall that read:

_**WELCOME HOME MAYOR-DOCTOR & MRS. CULLEN**_

_**PLEASE PROCEED TO TOWN HALL FOR EMERGANCY MEETING**_

They sat and stared into the window of the storefront, both speechless at the display in the windows. They climbed out of their rental SUV and stepped up onto the wooden walkway.

Cloth bows held hearts of all different sizes and colors had been tied around thick cords of rope that hung down the window. Each heart had a phrase or word: 'Merry Christmas', 'Family', 'Love', 'Parents', 'Joy', 'Peace'. LED lights were strung around the window and nestled amongst cushions were jars of jams, purees, sauces and on a pedestal in the middle was the a card which read: 'Apple and Pumpkin Festival Award winning sauce 'CULLEN GIRLS SPICY APPLE SAUCE' with a picture of Alice, Rosalie, Bella and Brianna on the labels of a stack of jars.

"Oh my! Carlisle, look! The Cullen Girls… oh…" Esme said as tears fell down her cheeks.

Carlisle kissed her head and hugged her close, "What do you say that we go and see what the hell this emergency meeting is about and then we can go home and see our 'Cullen Girls' and boys', hmm?"

Carlisle frowned as they drove slowly down Main Street, "Wow, it's really deserted in town." He said.

Esme nodded, "Where is everyone? Everything is closed and it's only six o'clock… what was that?" she asked as something caught her eyes, but when she looked again there was nothing there.

Randall lay in the thick snow-drift for a moment before he scrambled to his feet and pressed the button for the walkie-talkie, "The eagle is on his way… mayday… the eagle is on his way!"

At the hall, all of the lights had been turned out and a hundred and fifty people stood in darkness listening to Randall's disembodied voice.

"He is an idiot!" Alistair

"Hey that's my son you're talking about!" Kathy Wilber said indignantly.

"You deny that he is an idiot?" Emmett.

"Okay, no, but you don't have to _say_ that!" Kathy.

"Ow! That's my toe!" Darla.

"_Shut up_!" Edward, Emmett and Jasper.

"Whose hand was that?" Makenna.

Growl – Alistair

"I keep telling you, Babe, there is something wrong with the people in this town!" Brandon Hale.

"That's what I keep saying…" Bella.

Giggles.

"Shoo – here they are…"

"SUPPRISE!"

"Whaaaa!"

"SURPRISE!"

"What the f..."

"SURPRISE!"

Silence.

"Um… could someone turn the lights on?" Bella said loudly as everyone stood in the dark, only illuminated by the outside street lights.

Carlisle and Esme stood in the doorway with their mouths hanging open as the lights were turned on and they saw almost everyone in the village standing around with silly grins on their faces.

Esme gasped as she looked around the beautifully decorated hall and tears flooded her eyes as they were surrounded by their children and grandchildren, all hugging, talking and laughing at the same time, with the rest of the guests looked on with damp eyes and watery smiles.

Each child, daughter in law and grandchild was showered with attention, hugs and kisses and soon it was Bella's turn as she was pulled into a warm hug from Esme and then Carlisle. She allowed herself to sink into the warmth and familiar feeling of their arms around her.

"Oh Bells, we missed you!" Esme said as she held her at arm's length.

Bella blushed with pleasure as she dashed the tears of joy off her cheeks, "I missed you guys too, it's so good to have you home again!"

Esme smiled before she turned around and gasped when she saw Alice's gently rounded belly, "OH MY GOSH! Ali! You didn't tell us!"

Everyone chuckled as Esme spent a few moments lovingly berating Alice and Jasper.

The family moment was soon broken into by the rest of Esme and Carlisle's friends that had come to see them after their prolonged absence.

Some of Bree's school friends had been hired as servers and Bella quickly slipped into the kitchen to make sure that dinner was ready.

The starters would be served to each table, while the main course would be served buffet style. For desert there was a huge tiramisu cake that Arturo and Maria from 'La Bella Vita' had created while Alistair had sent his kitchen staff 'on loan' for the evening, so that Bella and the other women didn't have to spend too much time in the kitchen.

Emmett, Jasper, Edward and Bree stepped up onto the stage when the Seafood Cocktail starter had been served.

Emmett tapped his champagne glass before he sent a quickly glare to the long table at one side of the hall, where the 'under tens' were sitting.

Emmett cleared his throat and Bella could not help shaking her head as she looked at the four beautiful people on the stage. There was no doubt that Esme and Carlisle had supernaturally perfect genes. Edward, Jasper and Emmett had decided to wear black suits with white dress shirts, and they had decided to match their ties to their women's dresses, so Edward was wearing a plain black tie, while Emmett's was black and silver and Jasper's was a soft, pale lilac.

Alice, Bella and Rosalie had surprised Bree by making sure that Riley was dressed similarly to the men, except that he had a black tie with a bright blue detail that matched Bree's dress.

Alice heard her envious sigh and giggled as Rosalie snorted and rolled her eyes, "They are so fucking perfect that it hurts my eyes." Rose said out the corner of her mouth.

Bella nodded in agreement when Alice had the last say, "Yeah, but don't forget; they can stink up a bathroom just like the rest of us after they eat a good pot of Chili!"

Bella almost spat her champagne out as she laughed, which earned her a glare for Emmett and an amused raised eyebrow from Edward.

"Good Evening everyone! Mom, Dad, we just wanted to welcome you back home and we wanted to show you just how many people love and appreciate you." Emmett said as he smiled warmly at his parents.

Esme sniffed delicately while she patted her cheeks with a handkerchief and Bella noticed that even Carlisle was misty eye as he smiled at his children.

Jasper stepped forward, looking very handsome in his back suite and starched dress shirt.

"Please raise your glass to welcome home two of the finest people in this world: the new Mayor and Mrs. Carlisle Cullen – we love you!"

Everyone stood up and there was the sound of clinking glasses and the sound of 'Here! Here' and 'Welcome back Mayor!' and 'Welcome home, Doc and May-May!"

Carlisle put his arm around Esme as he turned them around and waved to everyone in thanks.

"Right! Now dinner is served!" Emmett announced as everyone else filed off the stage.

Carlisle and Esme were sitting at a table with some of their closest friends, including Amun and Kebi, Billy and Sue, Brandon and Megan Hale had also flown in for the occasion and to spend Christmas with the family.

After dinner had been served and enjoyed by all, the music was cranked up and everyone decided to party.

Esme and Carlisle enjoyed circulating and chatting to everyone. They were caught up on the town gossip and news but it was only when they were chatting with Darla that she had let slip about the 'goings on at the Apple and Pumpkin Festival' that they found out about Mark Watson-Smythe.

Bella was dancing with Edward and she was laughing as he twirled her around the dance floor when she looked up and saw a very angry looking Esme and Carlisle glaring at them.

"Shit! I think we're in trouble." Bella said quietly.

Edward turned and looked across to where his parents were engaged in a heated debate with Emmett and Jasper who had intercepted them.

"Fuck! Yeah, it looks like Darla told them! Damn, now May-May is going to be pissed."

Everyone had decided that they would not tell Esme and Carlisle about what had happened, because they all knew that their parents would be on the first plane back home and seeing as President Volturi and the police had handled everything so quickly and quietly, they had all felt that they would wait until everything had died down before they broke the news to them.

Edward could feel that Bella was tense for the remainder of the evening and she kept looking around her to see where Carlisle and Esme were. Surprisingly neither of them approached Edward and Bella and all that they said as they were leaving was that they would expect everyone to be in the dining room for brunch the following day. Esme looked from Edward to Bella with a menacing glint in her eyes, "No exceptions, you two and don't even think of weaseling your way out of this!"

Bella swallowed noisily as she held onto Edward's waist tightly.

"Yes, Ma'am" she whispered, while Edward just nodded, "Sure Mom."

It was close to midnight before the cleanup was completed and everyone said good night and made their ways to their waiting cars.

Thankfully it wasn't snowing but it was bitterly cold and Edward drove home carefully. They were staying at his house, because Bella had offered her apartment to Brandon and Megan for the duration of their two-week stay.

Roscoe greeted them happily and Edward was pleased that he had made sure to turn the heating up at his parents' and his home that afternoon.

"Want a drink?" Edward asked as he hung up his and Bella's overcoats.

Bella nodded, "That sounds wonderful."

Edward guided her into the formal sitting room and turned just one side light on, bathing them in a soft glow as he poured them both a serving of brandy.

Bella wrinkled her nose delicately as she sat on the sofa. Edward smiled lazily as he walked over and sat down, "Just try it; I promise that it's not too bad."

Bella took a tiny sip, "Hmm, it kind of tingles going down…"

Edward nodded and took his own sip, "Do you like it?"

"No bad at all." She said with a smile before her face turned serious, "Your parents looked so angry tonight." She bit her lip and Edward watched her twirl her glass in her fingers.

Edward sighed, "Don't worry about it, babe. They'll be pissed because they missed all the drama, but they'll get over it. They just want to be here to take care of everyone and it's time that they realize that we can all take care of ourselves."

He chuckled suddenly and Bella frowned, "What's so funny?"

He laughed again, "Oh man! My old man thought that becoming mayor was going to be such a breeze, but I heard Mr. Bentley making plans to call a town meeting during the first week of the new year to discuss the fact that he wants to buy the old ten dollar store and convert it into a candy store, but it's next to Harvey's butcher and he wants Harvey to move out and Harvey threatened to skin Bentley's poodle, dad's in for a ton of hurt with those two!"

Bella laughed, just as Edward had intended and a little while later they made their way upstairs.

Bella excused herself and closed the bathroom door while Edward got undress and pulled on a pair of sleep pants.

He had just settled the duvet around his hips when the bathroom door opened and Bella stepped out, still wearing her dress.

Her hair was out of its high pony and had been brushed until it shone around her shoulders.

"Can you unzip me?" she asked and bent her knees so that Edward could reach the back zipper that went from her neck to just below her hips.

Once the zipper was down, Bella moved away to stand at the bottom of the bed. Edward watched silently as she turned her back on him and lowered the dress to the floor.

A groan escaped his lips as he saw that she was wearing a strapless black lace bra with matching g-string beneath her dress.

And her fuck-hot black sandals that made her legs look like sin.

"Fuck… me…"

Bella looked back at him over her shoulder, "That sounds like an invitation, Doctor Cullen." She whispered.

Edward growled and threw the duvet off him and in one swoop he had taken his pants off and his cock was pointing towards his ripped abs as he smirked at her.

"So, what stopping you?"

Bella grinned, "Nothing!" and with that she crawled up the bed until she was hovering over his body. Her wet center was pressed against him and Edward couldn't help bucking his hips against her.

Edward brushed Bella's thick silky hair off her shoulders, "I love you," he said as he pulled her down to meet his eager mouth and body.

Bella reached down to undo her heels but Edward's dark voice stopped her, "Leave the shoes on."

Bella licked her lips in anticipation of what was to come.

Scraps of material were discarded before Edward gripped Bella's hips and held her above his aching need, "Ready?"

Bella bit her lip hard, "So, so ready."

Edward's eyes darkened to almost black as he dropped her onto his leaking cock.

Bella's fingers gripped Edward's shoulders and her nails dug into his skin as she let out a scream as he filled her to the brim.

Without giving either of them time to relax, Edward flipped them over so that they were pressed together from hip to shoulder.

Bella's fingers felt as if they were turning numb, "Fuck me, Edward"

Edward growled deep in his chest and his face turned almost feral as he held her still. "You asked for it!"

With that he began to plow into her tight warmth and soon their bodies were slick with sweat, their breathes fell in pants from their mouths.

_Lips, hips, fingers, wet heat, whispered words, dirty, sexy words._

Bella didn't know where she ended and where Edward began. They were one. They were merged into a single being.

As she felt her stomach tighten for the third time, she stared up at Edward with wide eyes, "Fuck, Edward… I can't … too much… oh God…"

Edward narrowed his eyes, "You can and you will – now come for me again, love! Cum all over my cock, fuck! That's it! Milk me dry, Angel! BELLA!"

It took a while before their ragged breathing returned to normal and Edward sniggered into Bella's shoulder, "What now?"

Edward looked at her from under his lashes, making Bella's heart flip-flop, "I wonder if Mrs. Cope is going to tell Don that there are wolves in the woods again."

Bella snorted as she thought back to a couple of months before when a red faced Don had come over to ask if either of them had heard the 'wolves' in the woods on Dorset common the night before.

Bella had turned scarlet when she realized that they had been a little loud the night before, while Edward had almost doubled over with laughter.

"I'm going to have to put a pillow over my face if I keep this up." Bella commented.

Edward shook his head as he turned the shower on and Bella stepped under the warm spray, "No damn way! I like that you're a screamer!"

Bella gasped, "That is so rude to say out loud!"

Edward laughed as he shut the shower door, "But it's so true, my little screamer… hmmm, I like the way that you shut me up."

_Roscoe lay on the landing only half listening to his two humans giggling and talking. Didn't they realize that it was time to sleep? He rolled his eyes as he heard Bella's tinkering laughter and sighed._

_He was glad that his master had found his own mate, but it kind of made him a little sad. He was going on for four years and he was the only one of his kind amongst his human pack. With a sad sigh he closed his eyes again, dreaming of when he was one of seven and he frolicked in the long grass with his brothers and sisters._

=====HS=====

Bella was up early even though they had not fallen asleep until almost three a.m. She fed Roscoe and put the coffee on. Once it was done she poured herself a mug full and sat at her favorite window seat in the large open plan great room.

She would never have believed that just two years before, she was frightened and living on the streets with Tyler. Never in all of her wildest dreams did she ever imagine that her life would be what it was.

She had a home. She had a family. She had friends and she was close to graduating, maybe even _summa cum lauda_ if she stayed focused. She had been notified that she had made the President's list.

She had Edward.

Just thinking about him made her smile. She wondered if her father would have like him. Bella felt a small pang in her heart as she felt a longing for a man that she hardly remembered.

The 'boys' as she called them had been bugging her to get back down to Phoenix to empty out the storage locker but so far Bella had been able to hold them off with legitimate excuses but the truth of the matter was – she just wasn't ready.

She knew that at she wanted to go through his things and put the pieces of her past together, but she had learned enough from her counseling sessions with Jasper to be able to know that she was not ready or strong enough to face whatever that locker held.

Bella hummed as she began to put breakfast together, because she knew that even though they would be going to the Cullen's for brunch, which usually meant that they wouldn't eat until eleven or later.

Just as she put the fluffy Spanish omelet onto the heated plate, she felt Edward's hands slide around her stomach.

"Hey my little love button. You're up early." He said as he nuzzled the side of her neck and dropped a tender kiss to her jaw.

Bella smiled and put the plate down on the counter before she turned into his arms and scratched the hair at the nape of his neck with her short nails.

Edward closed his eyes and hummed as Bella sniggered.

"Love button? Really? Do I look like a 'love button' to you?" she teased.

Edward's hand tightened around her waist for a moment before he dropped one hand and patted her sexy bottom, "You, Miss Swan are looking very sexy and cute this morning and so, yes, I think that you look like a cute itty bitty button! Oh! Is that an omelet? Looks good! Is that mine?"

Bella laughed as Edward released her quickly as he eyed the steaming plate and warm toast.

"So now your 'love button' has been replaced by food, hmm? Fine, I see how it is!"

Just then his stomach rumbled and they laughed as Bella shooed him over to the counter where she had set the placemats and utensils.

She quickly put her own omelet together and joined him while he poured some fresh juice and coffee.

They ate in silence for a while before Edward looked at her over the rim of his mug, "So are you ready to face Mom and Dad this morning? Because you know that they are going to go nuts at us for not telling them and no matter how much we try and defend it, the thing is that when one of the kids are hurt; the 'rents come running."

Bella scrunched up her nose in the cute way that she had when she was trying to reason something out or she was working out a puzzle.

"Hmm, but beside Bree, we are all grown ass adults!" she huffed.

Edward's heart warmed at how she included herself under the grouping of 'kids'.

He nodded in agreement, "Yeah? Well, you be sure to mention that to May-May and see how far it gets you!" he retorted with an evil chuckle.

Bella leaned over and smacked his arm, "You are horrible! Your mom will listen to me; just you wait and see if she doesn't, because _me _– she _loves_!"

Edward continued to chuckle as he loaded his dishes into the dishwasher. "Oh so, what you're saying is that Mom and Dad love you, but they just what? Tolerate us?"

Bella bumped his hip with her own as she stood beside him, "Hey, you said, not me!"

Edward's fingers began to tickle her as she tried to get away, "We will see, _oh wise one_, we will see!"

=====HS=====

Bella remembered Edward's words when they pulled up to the main house and found Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice sitting in their cars waiting for them.

Bella burst into laughter as she climbed out of the truck and let Roscoe out of the back. Roscoe turned his nose up at the melting snow and he must have heard the faint sound of the children's laughter because he took off around the side of the house and into the mud room.

Bella knocked on the window of Jasper's police SUV. He was on standby over the festive season and he found it easier if he drove around in the huge SUV because of its ability to go almost anywhere.

Jasper rolled the window down and narrowed his eyes at her before he looked over at Edward, "Why are you smiling?" he asked before he looked at Edward, "Why the hell is she smiling? Is there something wrong with this girl?" he asked mildly exasperated.

Bella giggled, "Oh come on! If you boys are scared of your mommy, you can hide behind us girls! Right girls?" she asked.

Both Alice and Rosalie shook their heads vigorously, "No ways, Bells! You have no idea. Esme is like… well like a volcano when she is pissed and from what we saw last night, both she and Carlisle are pissed so that's like a double whammy!" Alice said.

Bella shook her head as she saw Emmett nodding emphatically. "Oh for fuck's sake! Grow a pair all of you and come on! It's freezing out here you are just going to piss them off more if you let the food get cold!"

And with that Bella leaned over and planted a kiss on Edward's cheek, "Bring your chicken shit brothers and sisters inside, Babe. Seriously, they are so sad!"

Bella walked into the mud-room and discarded her thick snow jacket and boots. She pushed her feet into the purple slippers that the children had given her for her birthday and padded into the house.

She could hear voices in the kitchen and she made her way into the room.

Esme held her arms open to Bella, interrupting the conversation that she was having with Megan as soon as she spotted Bella.

"Morning my sweetheart!"

"Hey May-May. So I believe that you are going to draw and quarter me and scatter my evil ashes to the four winds or something!" Bella said as she returned the hug before she hugged and greeted Megan.

Esme began to chuckle as she looked out of a window to the driveway. She could see the 'kids' arguing and trying to push one another ahead of the rest.

"Oh my word! They are ridiculous! Of course I'm upset, we both are, but the boys act as if we are going to kill their kittens when they are in trouble! Seriously!" She stomped down the hall to the front door where the five adults were huddling together, "GET YOUR ASSES INSIDE THIS MINUTE!" she bellowed before she stomped back into the kitchen and she began to pull dishes from the giant range oven.

"You girls come and take this to the table. _Brianna_! Have you finished setting the tables? You boys go and make sure that the children wash their hands and that there are glasses on the table and pour some juice."

And just like that everyone was roused into action. A short minute later, with Brianna sitting with her young nephews and nieces at the table that had been set for them in the 'play/games room', all of the adults were seated around the large dining room table.

Everyone was quiet except for the occasional, 'please pass the salt' and 'is that your foot?'

Finally Esme sighed as she looked at her children, "So, who wants to go first? Bella? Seeing as this is your story, would you like to tell us what happened?" she asked gently.

Bella wiped her mouth and put her fork down with a small sigh.

She felt Edward's hand on her thigh, "You don't have to, love." He said quietly.

Bella patted his hand before she laced her fingers through his, "Its okay, I don't mind." She said, before she looked at Esme and Carlisle.

"So, I had this professor in a couple of my English Courses…." She began as she clutched Edward's hand tightly.

=====HS=====

There was a moment of silence when Bella finally finished telling her story there was silence that was broken only by the sound of Riley and Bree entertaining the children in the play room and the sniffles from the women around the table.

At one point in Bella's story Esme had scooted her chair back and she had ushered everyone into the sitting room, pulling Bella over to the sofa, where she sat wedged between Esme and Carlisle with Edward sitting between her knees on the carpet.

Jasper sat on one of the overstuffed armchairs with Alice on his lap while Emmett and Rosalie were cuddled on the love seat. Megan and Brandon were sprawled on the floor on the overlarge cushions in front of the fire.

Bella blew her nose and smiled weakly as Esme rubbed her shoulder lovingly, "How are you feeling about everything now? How are you being treated at school? Has anyone been mean to you?" Esme asked scowling fiercely at the thought.

Bella shook her head, "No, not at all! In fact, everyone has been really awesome! Dash is being hailed a modern day hero and Mrs. B felt so bad that she wanted to refund me for the last four months rent, but I refused."

Emmett growled, "Why? If that old bat hadn't insisted on renting that A-hole the apartment, none of this would have happened!"

Jasper held up his hand, "Hold on Em! You can't say that! He obviously was completely obsessed with Bella and I think that everything would have happened just as it did! This way was better,"

Rosalie glared at her brother-in-law, "How can you even say that, you moron? He," she looked over her shoulder at the closed door to the play room and lowered her voice to a whisper-shout, "he attacked her! He…"

Jasper shook his head, "I know that, but at least we were there to stop him! What if he had waited in some alley at school? What then, miss smartass?"

Bella looked from Esme to Carlisle and over to Brandon and Megan as she ran her fingers through Edward's wild hair, "This is why we decided not to tell you. Everyone had their own opinion and no one could agree on one course of action, so I just handed everything over to the authorities and they took care of it."

Edward heard what she had said and snorted.

Carlisle's eyes narrowed, "What Son? What aren't you saying?"

Edward shook his head and muttered "Later!" but Alice heard him and smirked, "Oh Carlisle, you should have seen what poor Mark looked like when he showed up in court. _Apparently_," she said with a role of her eyes, "he had 'walked into a door' several times over by the look of him. He had a broken arm, a broken nose, his jaw was cracked and he had a couple of cracked ribs." She said.

Jasper, Edward and Emmett looked comical as the identical expression of horror and shame spread over their faces, "We didn't do it!" they shouted together.

Carlisle muttered under his breath and looked at Bella, "Seeing as it seems that my sons can't tell the truth, and my other two daughters are too bloodthirsty; perhaps you want to tell me what happened Bells?"

Bella shrugged, "I really don't know about everything that went down. Tex, Peter and Garrett where here for a visit with their families and when all of this happened, well, the boys all disappeared a couple of days later when Professor Watson-Smythe posted bail. When they got back, none of them looked as if they had been in a fight, but then again, it would have been six to one." She said with a sidelong glance at Edward.

Carlisle nodded, "Are you okay now?"

"I am much better than I was, thanks, Dad." She said as Carlisle put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her close to his side as he kissed the top of her head.

"And as for you three," he said with a gleam in his eye, "why don't we take our conversation into my office, where we can sample some of that lovely bourbon that Brandon brought with him?"

Jasper, Emmett and Edward sighed as they got to their feet and followed their father down the hall without a word.

They knew that they had been issued with an order and not a request.

Brandon chuckled as he followed behind them.

Esme looked at her daughters-in-law, "Is everything else and everyone else healthy and happy?"

Rose and Alice nodded and Esme smiled as she held out an arm, "Well, come closer then and tell me about my new grandchild!"

Megan let out an 'Alice-like' squeal and for the next hour and a half Bella was bombarded with information and advice on all things 'baby', including 'favorite sexual positions when you are pregnant!' Bella thought that her face would just stay tomato red, until Edward wondered in and 'saved' her.

That night as they lay in bed, Edward told her how Carlisle had done his fatherly duty by reminding his sons that violence is never the answer before he hugged each one of them and told them how proud he was of them for protecting one of their own the way that he had taught them; to the death.

Christmas Eve was once again spent around the dining room table before they went to church together. Their group was larger this year and Bella smiled as she walked into the small church, not as a visitor or an outsider, but as a member of the community – as someone who belonged.

They served lunch at the homeless shelter before they headed home and then met up at the main house for a late lunch/dinner.

Edward grinned as Jasper helped him with his 'gift' for Bella – and Roscoe. Roscoe was especially spoiled as the 'hero of Hope Springs' he was given bones, treats, and special homemade biscuits and balls that he was thankful for, but he was enjoying his afternoon in front of the fire. His master and his Bella had taken him for a quick romp in the snow earlier and now he was happily warming himself while the humans opened presents.

He didn't understand the custom himself. Why would you spend hour's wrapping stuff in boxes and then rip it up in minutes? He would much rather spend his time chewing on one of his extra meaty bones or catching forty winks. _Unless it was a rabbit or a field mouse in a box – hmmm that was a great idea… although mice were quite scary…_

Just then Edward called him over and with a dramatic sigh he got up and walked over to where his humans were sitting with a large red box at their feet.

"This gift is for Bella and Roscoe." Edward said with a smile and a twinkle in his bright green eyes.

Roscoe looked at Bella with his head tilted to the side.

_Do you know what this idiot has done?_ He seemed to ask her and Bella shook her head, "Don't ask me, boy, he is your master! Is this a giant bone?"

Roscoe whimpered at the thought of a giant bone…

But a sudden movement inside the box caused him to jump back in fright.

_Had his master bought them a mouse? Or Gods forbid – a kitty? He hated kitties and they hated him._

Bella also got a fright and she let out a startled laugh.

A tiny sound came from inside the box and Bella's eyes shot to Edward.

"What have you done Edward Anthony Cullen?" she whispered.

"Open the box and see for yourselves." He said cryptically.

Bella untied the red ribbon and carefully lifted the lid.

A tiny black and pink nose popped out and a pair of small bright eyes greeted her.

Roscoe let out a bark and was admonished by his master. _What the hell was it?_ He wondered.

He needed to pee.

Bella gasped as she lifted a silver-gray and white merle Aussie Shepherd out of the box. She had one blue eye and one hazel one and she blinked sleepily as her little tongue peeked out and licked Bella's hand.

"Love; this is _Princess Appalachia of Augustine_ or Apples as her breeder named her."

Bella's eyes filled with tears as she sat smiling down at the tiny puppy.

"But – Edward I've got school!" she all but wailed and he grinned, "Well that's where Roscoe comes in; he will be a great babysitter and companion and he will love having her around. I think our boy has been a little lonely." He said as he nodded to Roscoe who moved forward slowly. Roscoe kept his eyes on the 'thing' but inched his way around to his master's knee.

He had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do with a – what did they call it – an _Apple? – What a stupid name!_

He watched all evening from a distance as the 'thing' was cooed and fawned over. Finally Jed came and lay next to him, curling his hand around Roscoe's neck.

"Don't worry Ross; I felt the same way when Emmy came to live with us! And mom told me the other day that they want to have another one! I still love you, boy and I'd much rather have you live with us than another baby."

Roscoe huffed in agreement. _He still didn't know what 'it' was supposed to do!_

That night as he settled down for his sleep in his large, plush bed a tiny nose nudged his and he opened one eye.

_What do you want, 'thing'? _

Two eyes blinked at him_, I miss my other home_.

Roscoe sighed.

She was kind of cute in a 'pet' kind of way.

_Come on, hop up here!_ He huffed.

Apples climbed up and snuggled down, with her back against Roscoe's warm stomach.

_Maybe she wasn't so bad after all_… he thought sleepily.

Upstairs, Bella and Edward were getting ready for bed. Bella touched the pretty charm bracelet on her arm.

"Thank you for my gifts." She said.

Edward smiled as he put the first edition medical book that Bella had given him on his night stand and pulled back the covers.

"Are you glad that I bought you a dog?" he asked with a grin.

Bella couldn't pretend to be angry with him when Apples was so damn sweet and even Roscoe had seemed to warm to her by the end of the evening, although every time Apples let out a high pitched 'yap', Roscoe either hid behind someone or let out a warning growl.

Bella bit her lip as she climbed into bed with just a pair of panties and a wife beater on, "Should we go and check on them?"

Edward shook his head and pulled her into his arms before he threw one leg over her hips, effectively trapping her against him.

"They will be fine, love. Now me… I'm not so sure about. I think that I have a 'boo-boo' on my arm from your puppy that you need to kiss better."

Bella hid her smile and put her hand on his arm, "Where is your 'boo-boo', darling?"

Edward pointed to a miniscule red scratch. Bella hummed and leaned down and placed a tender kiss on his arm.

"There's another one …. Um, here." Edward said huskily as he pointed to a nonexistent scratch on his bare shoulder.

"Aww, poor baby." Bella whispered as she licked her lips and kissed his chest. Her mouth wondered a little and she bent down to lick one puckered, flat nipple.

Edward hissed as her teeth gently scraped the sensitive flesh.

"And, um, here…" he pointed to his jaw.

Bella sighed dramatically as she pulled the wife beater over her head and straddled his hips. She pressed her damp center against his already engorged stiffness.

Edward groaned loudly as Bella threaded her fingers through his wild hair.

"It seems me that you need a thorough 'examination' Mister Cullen. Now tell Nurse Bella; where does it hurt…" Bella said as she tried not to laugh.

Edward giggled – he couldn't believe his own ears as he heard his pubescent giggle and he felt his ears become hot.

"_N-nurse_ Bella?" he whimpered as his eyes widened.

Bella nodded as she moved lower down his body, "That's right… now you just relax and let Nurse Bella take good care of you."

Bella's 'magic' fingers trailed down his body.

Edward's back arched off the bed as Bella's fingers teased his leaking cock before they moved to cup to gently clasp his balls.

For the next while Bella showered Edward's body with tender kisses, masterful strokes until she eventually sank her heat over him, bringing him to the brink of a mind-blowing orgasm only to pull back, or slow down at the last minute until he flipped them over and pounded into her hard and fast, making her cry out as the quiet world around them slept on.

Edward lay awake long after Bella was softly snoring into his neck which he found adorable. He shifted across the bed until he was able to sit up. Bella mumbled sleepily as she curled into the space that he had just vacated.

He smiled as he moved across the room and into his walk in closet. He searched the pockets of his jacket until his fingers closed over the small velvet box.

For a moment he felt sad that he had not asked Bella to be his wife earlier on, but he also knew that the time was not right just yet.

She had so much on her mind with trying to finish school, and then she had to get ready to embark on her student teaching. With a small sigh he quickly moved his clothes back to expose the wall safe and he quickly opened it and put his great-grandmother's engagement ring back into the safe.

With a decisive nod he retreated back to bed, and chuckled as Bella grumbled at his cool skin.

_One day the time would be right and he would ask Isabella Marie Swan to be his wife._

_One day!_

**A/N: Until next time, my lovelies.**

**xoxo**


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

HOPE SPRINGS

_**At the end of chapter 29 – **_

_**She had so much on her mind with trying to finish school, and then she had to get ready to embark on her student teaching. With a small sigh he quickly moved his clothes back to expose the wall safe and he quickly opened it and put his great-grandmother's engagement ring back into the safe.**_

_**With a decisive nod he retreated back to bed, and chuckled as Bella grumbled at his cool skin.**_

_**One day the time would be right and he would ask Isabella Marie Swan to be his wife.**_

_**One day!**_

**CHAPTER 30 – Moving on**

The end of Bella's Junior year and the beginning of summer came around far quicker than Bella could believe. May had arrived and with it came the wonderful warmth of what promised to be a great summer.

It seemed as if she had just started back after a too short Spring break and then she was in the throes of finals and once again she was packing up her room in the boarding house while chatting to Peter Stubbs' wife, Melissa.

"…_I'm telling you Mel, I'm not looking forward to being without Edward for an entire month! We promised each other that we wouldn't do the whole 'separation thing' again."_

Bella listened with one ear as she cast a critical eye across the room. She was finally packed up.

With a sigh, she walked over and sat down on the window seat as Melissa rattled off another string of reasons why she should spend the month of July with her 'Arizona family' and not with Edward in Cali, where he would be working at the clinic again.

After a few minutes Bella cut in to Melissa's tirade, "Okay! Okay! Damn, woman you talk a lot! Look, I need to go, but I will call you later once I've made the reservations, okay?"

With a sigh Bella looked out of the window at her bright yellow Beetle. Just looking at it made her smile and with a squeal of excitement she hurried to collect the last of her luggage and her purse.

Bella locked the door behind her and made her way to the dining room where some late stragglers were still eating breakfast.

Dash smiled at her and patted the seat next to him.

Bella greeted everyone quietly as she sat down.

"Mmmm – morning" Dash mumbled as he swallowed quickly.

Bella chuckled and poured herself a glass of juice.

"In a hurry to be on the road?" she asked.

Dash nodded, "Yeah, fuck, I can't believe that we are doing the whole 'meet the parents' thing this summer, you know?"

Bella smiled, "Well unless Casey's dad is completely blind, he is going to love you just the way that her mom already does. Don't worry so much, my friend."

"What are you up to for now?" he asked changing the subject.

"Well, I'm off to New York and then Boston for a few days and then I just want to kick back and chill at home for a while before Summer School. After that I'm going to spend some time with my dad's friend down in Phoenix while Edward's going to do his usual summer duty at the clinic in Santa Barbara."

Dash looked at the slightly tense lines around her mouth and pointed his fork at her, "You need to keep telling your face that you are happy about your summer plans, because from where I am sitting, it looks like you have swallowed a lemon!" he teased and Bella huffed as she buttered some toast.

"Well, I'm not thrilled about it and neither is Edward but it's only for three or so weeks." She admitted begrudgingly.

Dash chuckled and nudged her playfully with his elbow, "Aww, come on Bella; I'm sure that you will survive a few weeks without the doc!"

Bella snorted, "Shut up!"

They chatted quietly as ate their breakfast. When they were finished Bella excused herself and made her way to Mrs. B's small office that was tucked into a corner of the large kitchen.

"Come in Bella! Are you all packed up and ready for your summer?"

"I am. I just wanted to drop my keys off and to tell you that I've closed and labeled two boxes of books that I don't need to take home, if you could store them for me for the summer?"

Mrs. B smiled, "Of course. You can just leave them in your room and I will get the young man who mows my lawn to move it if I need to."

Bella nodded and for a moment there was an uneasy silence between the two women before Mrs. B cleared her throat, "Bella; I wanted to thank you for not holding that, that monster's actions against me. I am so very sorry that I ever had him here."

Bella reached down and covered the older woman's hands with hers, "Please, it's over now Mrs. B and we are doing just fine, okay? Let's put it into the past and leave it there, shall we?"

Mrs. B smiled before she stood up and hugged Bella impulsively. "You are a wonderful young woman, Bella and I am so glad that you are coming back in the fall."

"Well, I'll be back for Summer School soon," Bella said lightly and Mrs. B waved her off, "why you need summer school is beyond me! You are the smartest girl on campus!"

Bella smiled at her, "Well, I want to hurry up and finish school so that I can spend every day with my 'dashing young man' as you call him!"

They said goodbye to each other and Bella walked to the front door where Dash was holding her luggage.

"Hurry up Swan; I'm getting a hernia here!"

Bella laughed and mock punched him in the stomach, "Oh get over it!"

The two friends stood on the sidewalk and hugged each other, "You make sure that Doc takes care of you, okay?"

Bella grinned, "And you don't do anything disgusting in the 'rents home to make them hate you!"

Bella and Dash had become good friends and luckily neither Casey nor Edward was jealous about the time that they spent talking and laughing together. Dash had tried to explain his protectiveness towards Bella to Casey, but the closest that he came was to tell her that Bella was the little sister that he had never had and he would do anything for her.

With a last laugh Bella started the long drive home.

=====HS=====

Edward shouted another warning at Apple as she raced past him only to pounce onto a sleeping Roscoe.

"Apple – bad girl! You stop that right now!" Edward said as sternly as he could, while the almost six month old puppy ignored him completely as she hopped around Roscoe, nipping at his neck and stomach in an effort to rouse him from his sleep.

Roscoe immediately began to growl deeply and then the two of them were racing through the house, sliding along the polished floors until Edward roared, "OUTSIDDDDDDE!" to them and with a quick look at each other, they ran out of the back door.

"Fuck sakes!" Edward grumbled to himself as he walked into the kitchen only to spy the tipped over bowl of water on the tiled floor and with a shake of his head and a resigned sigh he went to fetch the mop to clean up the water – again.

Bella had pulled up outside the house and she was just closing her door when she heard Edward screaming for the dogs to get outside.

She giggled and hurried up the pathway and opened the front door.

"….fucking animals! What the fuck was I thinking – getting another dog. She's not a dog; she's a monster! Yes, madam, you heard me; you are a monster! A brat! We men were quite happy until you came along! What do you think, Roscoe?" there was a moment's silence and Bella peeked around the corner only to find that Roscoe was licking Apple's face lovingly.

"Traitor! You have fallen for the looks and the 'come hither' eyes, my friend! You will be sorry…"

Bella tried to stifle her giggles but Edward heard her and swung around, "Baby! You're home! Look guys, mommy's home!" he said as he dropped the mop and then he was across the room.

Edward felt that his entire being was coming alive as he looked around to see Bella giggling at his conversation with the dogs.

Bella threw her arms and legs around Edward as he pushed her gently against the door frame.

"Hello 'mommy'," Edward whispered against her lips.

Bella swallowed her giggled and moaned as she felt his tongue slip between her lips to deepen the kiss.

"Hmmm, hi, 'daddy'. The neighbors heard you shouting at the 'kids' again." Bella quipped once they came up for air again.

Edward pressed his forehead against hers and let out a dramatic sigh and then he was silent for a moment as he simply breathed in her essence.

Bella had been busy at school for the past three weeks and had not been home and although Edward had caved one weekend and had driven up to see her, they had not really spent too much time together.

Bella let out a breath before she too breathed him in.

"I've missed you."

Edward pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, the tip of her nose and both cheeks before he captured her lips and they groaned as their tongues met and dueled before they parted, smiling at each other.

"Hello my little love. I've missed you so much, but you are home now, so let's allow the 'monsters' to come inside to greet you because I have a feeling that Apples has a lot of 'talking' to do!"

Bella laughed as she watched Roscoe and Apples barking and jumping at the back door, waiting impatiently for Edward to let them inside.

Shortly after Apples had come to live with them, they discovered that not only was she a toy and ball fanatic, but she was also a 'talker'.

Apples would whimper and whine and make her wants and needs known by 'talking' to whoever's attention she needed at the time.

She also loved her toys and balls as well as Roscoe's toys and she had no problem in commandeering these for her own entertainment.

The puppy was a constant source of amusement and a ball of never ending energy as she 'talked' her way in and out of trouble and she had everyone in the family and the town wrapped around her finger.

She was smaller than Roscoe and Bella noticed that she had one cornflower blue eye and one hazel one which just added to her pretty features. Where Roscoe was all male – stocky and large boned; Apples was petite, with delicate features which left no one in any doubt as to her sex.

The other characteristics that Apples had revealed were that as cute as she was; she was as intelligent and twice as stubborn as her older partner.

Edward had enrolled Apples in a 'puppy obedience' course; just as he had with Roscoe, except that Apples had been expelled on her second day, when she had taken the 'sit' command to heart and had decided that it meant 'play attack your friends' and complete chaos had ensued as puppies were growled at; wrestled to the ground and then sat upon with great glee.

What was embarrassing was that Rosalie and the breeder that Edward had bought Apples from had come to see her in action – and she didn't disappoint.

The breeder had glared at Edward as he stood red-faced, trying to explain how_ he_ had never _taught_ the otherwise 'perfect specimen' how to misbehave!

Rosalie had laughed her ass off and she could not wait to tell everyone how the great and calm Doctor Cullen was rendered speechless and helpless by a twelve pound bundle of fur!

Walking with Roscoe and Apple was also different – while Roscoe was used to running alongside his master and if he did veer off into the brush, he would return upon command; Miss Apple jumped, rolled and hopped along side, in front and behind of Edward. He had fallen in Dorset Common twice, tripping in an effort to avoid stepping on her and finally he decided that he would just walk the dogs and then they were left at home when he went for his daily run.

Apples yapping and Bella's giggles brought him back to the present and he saw Bella sitting on the kitchen floor, while Apples climbed onto her shoulder and tried to lick her to death.

"Apple – down!" Edward commanded, while Roscoe rolled his eyes and waited patiently for Bella to give him some love.

Roscoe wondered why his human master was so slow on the uptake – Apples didn't take commands from anyone, well except him when he had to force her into submission. Okay, that wasn't too often but she was so darn cute, especially when she cuddled up to him or kissed his nose…

"Ross; come over here and show me some love, boy!" Bella encouraged and he quickly went over and buried his nose against her neck.

Edward looked at the tangled arms, legs and fur on the floor and shook his head, "We are never going to be able to train her to do anything we ask, if you keep rewarding her bad behavior!"

Bella giggled again and stood up, brushing loose fur off her cut off jeans and legs.

"Oh come on; just admit that you love her!"

On cue, Apples sat at his feet and looked up at him adoringly. Edward sighed and picked her up in his arms.

"Okay, okay!" he laughed as she began to lick him enthusiastically, "I love you! I love you!"

Once the dogs had been given a treat and their water bowls were refilled, Apples flopped down and fell asleep, leaving Roscoe to stretch out on the cool tiles and doze in the corner, while Edward and Bella headed upstairs to reconnect.

Bella lay sprawled over Edward's chest; one hand curled under her chin, while the other was curled around the nape of his neck and stroked the soft hair there.

She let out a contented sigh, "This is so nice. It feels as if we haven't had time to spend like this forever."

Edward allowed his hand that was stroking her hair to still for a moment, "It has been a long time. You've been so busy that we only had snippets of time here and there to spend in bed, but now we have the entire summer."

He stretched lazily and relaxed once more, moving his leg so that Bella could plant one of hers over his hips.

"Hmm, well, almost all summer…" she muttered.

Edward's hands stopped moving, "Oh! Have you decided to go to Phoenix then?"

They had been arguing over this topic for some weeks and each time, Bella had refused to discuss the idea of spending three weeks away from him, regardless of how many assurances he gave her that she needed to make this journey.

Bella pushed herself up so that she could look into Edward's bright green eyes. For a moment they just stared at each other, and Bella felt herself relaxing at the expression of love and compassion that she saw.

"Yeah." She bit her lip and nodded, "Melissa called me again and I agreed to fly down there in time to be there for Independence Day barbeque, which she said was a 'must!'. But what about the 'kids'? You are going to be in Cali and if I'm in Phoenix then…"

Edward put a finger over her lips, "Huh ha," he shook his head, "Don't make up excuses about the dogs. Mom and Dad, Alice and Jass as well as Em and Rose beg us repeatedly to 'rent' the dogs out to them. They will be well loved, spoilt and humanized by everyone. Hell, they already have special dishes at Alistair's pub and I can't walk down the street without someone stopping me to fawn over them!"

Bella smiled proudly, "Well, it's not my fault that you gave me the cutest damn baby this side of the Grand Canyon!"

Edward smiled indulgently before he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "You need to go, Isabella. I promise you; I am just a phone call away. If you get there and you want to dump the entire contents, then that is fine. Garrett and the guys will respect your wishes but you need to see what Charlie left for you, sweetheart. You need to discover who he was; what he stood for and who you were. I don't care about your 'lineage' but finding out where you come from is important to be who you are. If you need me – I promise that I will be on the very next flight to you. I promise, but you have to promise to try, just try."

Bella blinked and Edward's heart almost broke at the tears that ran down her cheeks. He brushed at them with his thumbs before he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.

"I love you so much, my love."

"I love you." Bella croaked out before she hid her head in the crook of his neck.

Edward stroked her back gently, loving the feeling of holding his girl in his arms again. God! He missed her so much that it hurt! He wanted nothing more than to bind her to himself, so that she would never leave, but he also knew how important it was that Bella grow and spread her wings, no matter how much he wanted to hold her back, he knew that he couldn't.

That was the reason that the polished diamond ring was still in the safe in the closet. Everyone had urged him to ask her to marry him, but Edward was holding back.

He wanted to marry Bella more than anything else, but he also wanted her, needed her to come to him freely.

He wanted her to be sure that she was ready to settle down in Hope Springs, that she was positive that it was _him_ that she wanted, because if it wasn't and she left him; Edward knew that he would never recover.

"What's wrong?"

Edward looked up to see Bella staring down at him in concern and he quickly plastered a smile on his face and ignored the jolt of pain in his heart.

"Nothing's wrong, love. I think that I'm just hungry! Are you ready for a late lunch? We can go down to the pub because we have your 'welcome home' dinner at the 'rents tonight. Come on, let's shower."

Bella watched as Edward sprang into action and disappeared into the bathroom. The scowl on her face deepened.

_What the fuck was going on with him?_

Ever since Christmas time, Bella had noticed that Edward would get a distant and almost sad look on his face sometimes. At first she had ignored it but it was becoming increasingly difficult to brush it off. Each time that she asked, he would say that 'nothing was wrong' or that it was 'just work', but Bella knew that it wasn't and the thought scared her.

This time she was determined to find out what was going on. If Edward didn't want to be with her, then he had to grow a pair of balls and tell her. If she was making him unhappy then she would leave.

Bella actually gasped at the pain that sliced through her at the thought of leaving him. She wound her arms around herself to hold the pain inside.

"Bella! Are you coming to shower, Love?" Edward called.

Bella let out a shaky breath, "Um, coming!" she called back and stood up on legs that weren't as steady as they should be.

_There was no way that she was letting him go without a fight! _She thought to herself, _I will just have to find a way to show him that I want him forever._

=====HS=====

Two weeks later Bella was no closer to formulating a plan nor had she found out what was obviously worrying Edward.

To make matters worse, the more that she pushed him to come clean with her; the more it seemed that Edward was pulling away from her; Bella was busy with two on-line courses and then she was taking a break the third week in June when she would return to Johnson for a three day course.

She was officially entering into her final year at university and she was excited because after all of the hard work that she had put in, she had completed two thirds of the requirement for her Elementary Teacher Licensure and she only had a couple of courses to take in the new semester and the rest of the time was to be spent teaching at HS Elementary.

She had spent most of her time reconnecting with friends and family but even though Edward was right by her side most of the time, they hardly spoke.

When they did, it was superficial, everyday stuff and Bella was more than a little frustrated. She had moved back into her apartment a few days before, trying to get a rise out of Edward, but he had just smiled and said that she would probably get more work done there!

Bella had thrown her clothes into the back of her car and after putting the two dogs in the car as well, she had shot off down the road, while Edward sat seemingly unconcerned in the backyard.

Roscoe and Apple loved the space that being at the farm gave them and although they were supposed to be confined to the Cullen's yard, they found ways of breaking free and spent hours frolicking in the woods, 'swimming' in the small river and chasing butterflies, rabbits, and anything else that moved.

Bella threw her pen across her room and stood up. She was sick of Edward's distance and she hadn't slept well at all without him and she had eventually resorted to coaxing Apple and Roscoe onto her bed just so that she could feel another presence next to her.

Esme was sitting at the kitchen counter, looking at some ideas on line that she had about redecorating the sitting room. It had been a few years since she had redecorated and after their travels, Esme's head had been filled with new ideas for all of the rooms.

She heard the door to the mudroom swing open and smiled as Bella stomped into the room.

"Hello Darling! What's got you in a snit this morning?" she asked as Bella scowled at the coffee pot before she poured herself an extra large mug and joined Esme at the counter.

Bella stared out of the kitchen window for a few minutes before she sighed and looked over at her 'mother' and friend with unhappy and tired eyes that were unusually dull.

"I'm just tired." She said and offered Esme a half smile as the older woman quickly got up and put a fresh blueberry muffin, clotted cream and fresh butter in front of her.

Bella broke the muffin apart and she absentmindedly nibbled on the soft cake.

"This is good." Esme waited patiently for Bella to talk. She knew her children and she knew that Bella needed to sort things out in her own mind before she opened up to anyone.

Finally Bella stared down at her hands before she raised eyes that shone with unshed tears and sniffed, "I think – um, I think that Edward's getting tired of me," she said so quietly that Esme had to lean forward to catch her words.

Once they registered she sat back with a shocked expression on her face, "What!? Oh Bella, honey, that's not true! Edward loves you so much!"

Bella shook her head, "I don't think so…"

"What makes you say that, Bells?"

Bella wiped her hands over her eyes, dashing the few errant tears away and stood up. She stood at the window staring out onto the long driveway before she turned back to Esme.

"Something's going on with him. He has been acting strange ever since Christmas time. Sometimes it seems as if he wants to say something to me but then he gets this resigned look and he doesn't say anything. He watches me and it's almost as if he's trying to remember what I look like or something. And he keeps asking me if I'm sure that I want to stay in Vermont once I graduate or if I want to 'spread my wings'! What the fuck does that mean?" By this time Bella was pacing furiously backwards and forwards across the checkered floor and she had almost forgotten that Esme was there.

She ran her hand through her hair in frustration, "And another thing! When I asked him about us going on a little road trip before we leave, because you know we spoke about going to New York and Boston, well, he just shrugged and suggested that I find some of my 'young' friends to go on a trip with! It's like he can't stand to be in the same room with me, never mind the same place! What the fuck is with that? He is acting like I'm Bree or something and he is this old man! I'm just… I'm just… Aaagh!" Bella let out a growl of pure frustration.

She stopped pacing and turned around to see not only Esme sitting a the counter, but Carlisle was leaning up against the door with his arms folded over his chest and an amused smile on his face while his eyes were filled with loving concern.

"Um, Hi? Sorry about the language and stuff, I kind of forgot that you were here." Bella mumbled as her face turned bright pink.

Carlisle shook his head and stepped forward, "So, my son is driving you crazy, huh?" was all he said as he stood next to Esme and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

Bella huffed and nodded, "Something like that. Look, I'm sorry, this isn't your problem and Edward is your son, so yeah, you should totally take his side."

Esme held out a hand to stop her from continuing, "Now Isabella, that's crazy talk and you know it! You are as much our child as Edward is," Carlisle nodded in agreement, "and that being said, it pains me that you two are such smart people and yet you both seem to have shit for brains when it comes to communication!"

Bella and Carlisle's mouths dropped open in shock but Esme carried on as if nothing was wrong, "Seriously! I should lock you both in a room and force you to talk to each other! After what happened with the first time he ran off to the clinic and then with you and that monster and now – why you make me want to smack you both!"

Bella took an instinctive step backwards at the look of genuine anger on Esme's face. If her reddish hair and spitfire green eyes weren't enough evidence of her temper, then the look of trepidation on Carlisle's face was enough to make Bella very cautious.

"Es-" she began but the glare of annoyance from Esme cut her off.

"Just stop talking, Bella." Esme pushed away from the counter and stood up. She brushed off the calming hand that Carlisle placed on her shoulder and leaned against the counter to stare at Bella.

"For days, weeks, months, you and Edward have been mooching around here. He is like a cat on a hot tin roof and you circle around him as if he is going to run away or explode or something!" She waved her hands in the air, "Just ask him! Make him tell you! Force him to open up because I swear I am not going to have drama this summer!"

Bella's first instinct was to run away from Esme's anger and hide or just keep running but as she was about to turn to make her escape Carlisle spoke.

"Esme, that's enough! Bella, don't run. Please just listen to me."

Bella stopped at the doorway and turned around reluctantly.

Her eyes skittered past Esme and fell on Carlisle who hadn't moved. There was no trace of anger in his eyes, only concern.

Bella nodded once and she waited for him to speak.

"Esme went about this all wrong, but I understand her frustration and yours. We all have an idea of what has been bothering Edward but no amount of coaxing from us has been able to shift his stubborn ass into action. There is one thing that I do know though, and that is that my son loves you with all of his heart and I know that you love him the same way, right?"

Bella shrugged, "Yes, but so what?"

"So what? Well, it seems to me that you love him as much as he loves you and although he is older in years, Edward is something of an emotional retard when it comes to how to put words to his feelings. You may need to be the grownup in this instance and do what Esme says – force it out of him."

Bella frowned, "But how? I mean I've asked him if something is wrong but he just says 'no' and then he changes the subject!"

Carlisle smiled, "Come and sit down, Bella. I just got a phone call from a very old friend of mine, Godfrey Jeffers who owns and runs Lake Katanga Day Camp over in Nashua, New Hampshire, with his wife Winifred and I think that we may have the solution to this conundrum."

For the next two hours Bella listened and argued and reasoned until she realized that she had only one course of action open to her.

After making a few calls Bella was ready. She brushed more tears off her cheeks and hoped that she was not going to regret this decision.

Carlisle was waiting for her in his car while Esme stood next to it.

She hugged Bella tightly, "It seems that I'm always saying goodbye to you, my sweet daughter. I promise you, this is just what you need to do. You will have fun and Edward will get the kick in the pants that he needs. We love you."

"Thank you Mom, I love you too." Bella whispered before she climbed into the black sedan and Carlisle wasted no time in putting the car into gear and driving away.

Bella let out a sigh as she watched the scenery change as they left her beloved Hope Springs behind.

She turned to look at Carlisle, "You are always saving me."

Carlisle chuckled, "It's no more than I'd do for any of my kids, Bella. And besides Godfrey needs the help. He and Winifred were really grateful that you would be available for the next three weeks to look after thepreschool and grade k group in the day camp while their teacher recovers from the emergency appendectomy. Really, you are doing everyone a huge favor and you are earning some extra credits! Win for everyone."

"I hope this doesn't back fire." Bella said quietly as she turned to look outside again.

=====HS=====

Edward lifted the phone on his desk, "Cathy, who is my next appointment?" he asked as he suppressed a sigh.

He should be outside enjoying the Vermont summer with his girlfriend, but instead he was stuck in his office attending to insect bites, cuts and scrapes and hay fever! He looked down at the silver frame on his desk.

It was one of those frames that folded out and four photographs could be placed in it.

The first one was of Bella playing in the snow with Bree, Emma and Brady. Her cheeks were pink and she was all bundled up in layers as she stood knee deep in snow.

The second photograph had been taken at her last birthday party. She and Edward stood side by side with their arms around each other. Fairy lights twinkled around them and they were smiling at each other.

The third picture had been taken during the last Honors Convocation that they had attended, where Bella was awarded the Dean's Honor Award once again. It was taken as she had been about to leave the stage and she had looked over to where Edward was sitting with the rest of their family. Bella's hair was pulled into a low bun and she wore a plain black pencil skirt and a white shirt with black pumps but she had never looked so beautiful. In the photo, a strand of hair had loosened and as Bella was about to descend the steps she had reached up to tuck the hair behind her ear and at the same time, she had glanced up at Edward from under her lashes.

_Beautiful._

But it was the last picture that caused Edward to sigh. It had been taken just days before. Bella had taken the dogs for a walk and Edward had told her to go on ahead. He had spotted them from his house and he had made his way quietly forward before he snapped the picture.

In the photo, Bella sat on the steps of the gazebo, with Roscoe sitting next to her and Apple lay on her lap, Bella was staring out at the lake with a look of thoughtful sadness on her face that it made Edward's heard ache.

He knew that he was causing her anxiety by shutting himself off, but he had to know if she was serious about staying with him! She was only now just about to turn twenty-one! He was turning thirty one soon!

She deserved to see the world and experience all that it had to offer, while he was just a small town doctor and that's all that he would ever be, while Bella, well she could rule the –

"Excuse me, but you need to wait." Edward said as his office door was thrust open. His eyes widened when he saw his father, mother and brothers standing in the doorway.

"What's going on? Is it Bella?" Edward asked in a moment of blind panic. Why else would his family be there?

Jasper shut the door and leaned against it folding his arms over his chest. The hair on the back of Edward's neck rose alarmingly.

Something was very wrong.

"Sit down, Edward." Carlisle said quietly in a voice that brooked no argument.

Edward looked at his mother for assurance but she just looked sad.

He frowned as he sat down heavily and licked his suddenly dry lips.

"What's – will someone please tell me what is wrong. Is, oh God, is it Bella?" His voice sounded foreign to his own ears, strained and hoarse.

Carlisle spoke again, "You know, for someone who is as intelligent as you, I sometimes wonder what you are thinking half the time. Son, before you have a panic attack, I will tell you that Bella is just fine."

Edward sagged with relief but the very next words had him tensing again, "She was fine when I dropped her off at her new summer job."

"Summer job? What job? What are you talking about?"

"Edward…"

"Will someone just fucking tell me what is going on here?" he growled.

Carlisle narrowed his eyes at him, "Don't speak like that in front of your mother! No shut up and listen. You have fucked up – badly. Bella was a crying mess this morning, wondering why you didn't love her and wondering if you were getting tired of her. She came to your mother for help and I just happened to be able to help her, so this is the bottom line: Bella has gone away for three weeks. She won't be home and we are not going to tell you where she is. She wants you to make up your mind about what you want because you are hurting both of you by being so distant."

Edward felt his mouth open and close several times as he stared from one member of his family to the other, but no words came out.

"Now it's time that you grow the fuck up and 'fish or cut bait' Son; that girl adores you and if you can't see that then you need more than just a kick in the ass."

With that Carlisle and Esme stood up and walked to the door, "It's time to 'put up or shut up', Edward. If you want to know if she wants to spend the rest of her life here in Hope Springs with you, then you need to ask her. Ask her before she feels that there is nothing to stay for." Esme said quietly.

Edward stared at the closed door once they and Emmett were gone.

A movement had him staring across the room to where Jasper sat sprawled in one of the visitor's chairs with a pensive look on his face.

Edward felt tears smart behind his eyes and he dug the heels of his hands into his sockets before he moved his hand and glared at his older brother.

"So Sherriff are you here to warm me not to try to find her or analyze my ass?" Edward growled.

Jasper didn't say anything, but Edward saw the silent warning in his eyes. Of all of the Cullen children, it was Jasper who was most like his peace loving and drama free father. He and Carlisle had spent countless hours as he was growing up, sitting silently on the deck or walking through the orchards as 'world war three' was waged inside the house by Esme, Edward, Emmett and Bree.

But Edward was not deceived for a minute, just because they didn't like drama and shouting didn't make Jasper or Carlisle any more of a pushover. They were quiet but deadly fighters and Edward had an idea that if he pushed his brother too hard, he would be on the receiving end of Jasper's quiet anger.

Edward got up, "Just fucking say it Jasper; I'm losing her aren't I? What the fuck is wrong with me?"

Jasper stood up as well, "Come on, Bro, let me buy you some dinner and a couple of pints. Emmett's waiting for us."

Edward nodded and switched the lights out before he closed his office door.

Cathy was sitting trying to look as innocent as possible but Edward knew that she was just bursting with curiosity and he also knew that within ten minutes the phone lines of Hope Springs were going to be jammed.

"Cathy, I won't be back tonight."

"Of course Doctor Cullen. Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked with wide eyes.

Jasper sniggered as he pushed Edward out the door, "No thanks, Cathy, it's just an early birthday celebration!"

Cathy stared at the closed door, "But Doc Edward's birthday is in November…" she said, feeling confused.

_What a curious thing… she wondered if Darla over at the police station knew anything…_

"Hello, Darla? It's Cathy! Listen…" she lowered her voice as she looked around to make sure that she was alone.

=====HS=====

Bella settled in quickly to the easy routine of summer day camp life. Each morning she was up early and had eaten breakfast and she waited ready to receive her young charges. She only had six children the Peewee K group and so far they were energetic but cute kids. There were five boys and six girls.

She had paid a visit to the teacher that was supposed to have taught the class and she and Nancy Dreyer became fast friends. Nancy was a newly qualified teacher and she gladly shared the 'curriculum' that she had set out with Bella. Bella spent the next three days making notes and changes before the camp opened, as she got used to living in the small prefab cottage that was one in a cluster behind the dining hall.

Godfrey and Winifred was a couple in their mid forties. Godfrey was six feet tall at least but he was almost that wide across and he looked a little like Grizzly Adams, with wild wooly salt and pepper hair and a loud laugh, while Winnie was short and skinny. Bella liked them from the first time that she saw them and she learned that the two couples had met many years before when Godfrey and Winnie were hiking through Hope Springs and Winnie had been stung by a bee that she was allergic to.

Godfrey had rushed her to the doctor who was Carlisle. Esme had offered them the garage apartment while Winnie had healed and they had become firm friends.

The children arrived between six and seven in the morning and they left between five and six thirty at night.

It was a long day for little ones and Bella made sure to include plenty of quiet activities as well as a compulsory 'sleep time' after lunch.

Bella found that she actually loved being outdoors with her young charges and within a week she was tanned and much to her dismay, a smattering of freckles spread over her nose and cheeks and she had a golden hue to her skin that gave her a sense of well being. Her hair had lightened from the hours spent in the sun and water and Bella hardly recognized herself as she pulled her hair into a messy bun before she threw on a light gypsy skirt in various colors and a white peasant blouse and slip slops before she walked across to dinner in the mess hall.

It was the end of the second week and just that morning Winnie had begged her to stay on for another two weeks. Nancy had made a good recovery but she wasn't up to full speed yet and was due to spend one more week at home before returning to the camp.

Winnie and Godfrey were so impressed with Bella that they had asked her to consider staying on and taking half of her small charges into a new group. Bella was tempted, but she missed home and she was going crazy wondering what was going on there.

As she had promised, she had left her cell phone behind and the few times that she had phoned Esme, Alice or Rose, all that they would say was that Edward had a tough time trying to cope without her at first but the second week had been better.

Bella needed some advice and she was pleased when Winnie had told her that Carlisle had asked her to call him at eight that evening. She kept checking the time and just before eight she hurried over to the office.

Carlisle picked up the phone and Bella gasped when she heard his smooth dulcet tones. He sounded so much like Edward that tears sprang to her eyes.

"Cullen here."

Bella willed her heart to stop pounding.

"C-Carlisle? Hi, it's Bella…" she cradled the phone in her hand as she swallowed quickly.

"Hey Sweetheart! How are you? Are you having a good time? Godfrey called me to say that they don't want to give you back but there is someone here that will have some harsh words to say about that!" he chuckled and Bella sniffed loudly as she gave a weak laugh.

"Oh yeah? Apple and Ross giving you a hard time?"

Carlisle shook his head at Bella's less than subtle attempt at digging for information.

"Oh Bells, you have no idea! We all miss you too and I won't lie to you Edward was pretty damn pissed that you left him, but once he calmed down, I think that Edward realized that you aren't a little girl who doesn't know her own mind."

Bella had begun to cry as she listened to Carlisle speaking and although she tried to keep quiet; he heard her and stopped speaking.

"Isabella; don't be sad. This time apart hasn't been a bad thing. Sometimes us Cullen men are too stubborn and single minded for our own good. If you don't believe me, just ask Alice about when she left Jasper the summer that she fell pregnant and he decided that she needed to be on twenty-four hour bed rest! She moved to California and refused to take his calls until he relented. Or ask Rosalie about what she went through once Emmett decided to get his act together and he refused to believe that she forgave him and he would apologize to her at least ten times a day!" Carlisle chuckled at the memory, "He sent her so many flowers that he had to get them in from Stowe and Woodstock! Anyway, he came home with yet another vase of flowers and Rosie broke the vase over his head and she then made him take every single flower and give them away! The ladies in Hope Springs had never been so spoilt!"

By this time, Bella had stopped crying and she was giggling at the thought of Emmett and Jasper getting on the wrong side of their wives.

"And you?" Bella asked before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry! That was rude!"

"No, it wasn't, Bella, I'm not ashamed to admit that I was stupid and that I almost lost my wife. You see, I made the same mistake as my hardheaded son and I thought that I knew what was best for Esme, without consulting her."

Carlisle smiled sadly as he leaned back in his leather chair. He could hear the sounds of his family finishing dinner inside and the sounds warmed his heart just like they always did.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't mind at all. We were young; I was working through my residency in Chicago and my grandfather got ill and Esme wanted to come back here to take over the running of the farm. At the time, we had Emmett and Jasper and Essie was working at the Department of Parks. Anyway, I told my grandmother that we were staying in Chicago and that they should hire a manager because I didn't think that Esme would be able to cope with having the kids and the farm."

Carlisle grew silent as he thought about coming home from a twenty-four hour shift and finding their small apartment empty except for the note on the kitchen table.

"My Nana had phoned Essie and she was beyond pissed that I had made a decision like that without consulting her and she packed up herself and the boys and left me a note telling me that family would always come first and that if I wanted to join them I was welcome, but they were 'going home'."

Bella cringed at the sadness in Carlisle's voice, "What did you do?" she asked quietly.

Carlisle chuckled, "This is where our similarity comes in; I through an almighty temper tantrum and then I had the nerve to call Esme and demand that she come straight back!"

"Oh man!" Bella groaned.

Carlisle and Bella laughed, "Oh yeah, I was that stupid! Well, she told me to go and 'take a long run off a short pier!' and she slammed the phone down on me. Thankfully I was able to transfer my residency to Woodstock General and a month later I arrived at the farm. My grandfather was weak but he was alive and Esme and the boys were flourishing. She was pregnant with Edward and I was hurt that she didn't tell me but I understood that I had behaved like an ass and so for the next three weeks I slept in that little room in the red barn while I did everything in my power to convince your mother to take me back!"

"Wow! You slept in my old room in the barn?"

Carlisle snorted, "Yeah, except that there was no room honey, just a cot in the corner of a working barn! There was an outhouse behind the barn with an outside shower and my Nana, who was pissed with me as well, would put my plate of food on the back porch each night. If I was late, well then I would eat it cold or not at all!"

They laughed again and then grew quiet.

"I miss you all so much." Bella said quietly.

Carlisle looked up as he sensed a movement and saw Edward standing uncertainly in his doorway, raking his hands through his hair.

Carlisle smiled encouragingly and motioned for him to take a seat. Edward had been patient so far, but he had come to Carlisle that morning and had asked if he could try and get Bella to talk to him.

Bella felt warm and fuzzy when Carlisle referred to Esme as her 'mother'. She honestly loved that they saw her as one of their own.

"Well, we miss you too, Bells. It's just not the same without you but tell me are you having a good time? What's it like?" He gave Edward a silent warning to keep quiet as he put the phone on speaker.

"Oh my! It's such fun Carlisle! The kids are so darn cute! I have eight five and six year olds and we have lessons each morning and then we do nature studies and we put on water wings and paddle in the lake!" Bella giggled and Edward closed his eyes tightly as the sound went straight to his heart. For a moment he wondered if he was doing the right thing, but then he pushed the old feelings aside – _no! He had to man up and show her that he had heard her._

He listened as she continued to talk.

"I never knew that playing in the dirt could be such fun and I'm thinking of taking a couple of Outdoor Education electives because you should see their little faces when I explain the life of a ladybug or a worm!" Bella laughed again.

"Not that it's all fun; it has been so rewarding as well. I have a little boy, Tommy, who reminds me so much of …" her voice trailed off and Edward heard her sigh, "he reminds me of Edward; he is thoughtful and careful and he wants to plot out each and every step that he takes first. Today, we walked along some stepping-stones and little Tommy was so worried about me falling that he almost ruined the outing for everyone. His mom is sick and he's been feeling really insecure but once I pointed out that I was capable of making my own decisions, he was happy to go along with our outing. He kept asking what would happen if I got hurt and I just told him that then he could take care of me." Bella sighed again.

Edward knew that she was thinking of him.

"Anyway, I've earned extra credits as well, but now they want me to stay on for another two weeks until my little class 'graduates'. They are only enrolled for four weeks at a time but I don't know. I miss you guys so much and," she paused and her voice became full of emotion "I really miss Edward and I just want to fix us, you know. I don't even know if he knows what's wrong, but we need to talk. I mean we've been together for almost two years now, but he still insists on treating me as if I don't know my own mind!"

Carlisle raised his eyebrows at Edward while he sat forward in his seat, "Bella; I'm sure that Edward doesn't even realize that he is treating you like a kid but you know what? I think that you should finish the time that you have there. It will mean that you will get all of the extra credit that you need and then you will just have a couple of classes and your two student teaching semesters to finish, correct?"

"Yep, that's right. Um, Carlisle, I know that May-May advised me not to call Edward, but I don't want to do the same thing that he did when he went to the clinic the first time. I don't want him to think that I'm running away. Nothing could be further from the truth; I love that man with all my heart and I have never been surer of anything in my life."

Carlisle looked over at Edward and nodded, "Bella, don't be angry with me, but there is someone here who you need to have this conversation with."

His words were met by silence and then Edward heard a small sob and he couldn't help himself as he reached forward and snatched up the receiver, "Baby love, please don't cry. I'm so sorry that I hurt you. Please Bella, please forgive me."

Carlisle stood up quietly as he heard Bella's gasp and he walked around his desk and as he passed by Edward's hunched shoulders he laid his hand on the back of Edward's neck and leaned down and kissed him on his temple.

Edward reached up and patted his father's hand and then Carlisle slipped out the office and quietly closed the door.

He looked up to see Esme and Bree standing in the hallway and he smiled as he put his arms around them and led them into the kitchen.

Esme wiped her nose on a tissue and hugged his side, "For someone who told me not to interfere, you seem to be doing quite a good job of interfering. How did your son just happen to be here tonight when Bella called?" She said teasingly.

Carlisle grinned as his ears grew pink, "Yeah well, Edward may have asked for a favor and so I may have left a message with Winnie that I wanted to talk to our girl."

"Daddy, you are such a romantic!" Bree chuckled as Carlisle turned and tickled her sides.

"You'd better not tell anyone, young lady, or else you will be sorry!" he said with a mock growl.

Esme smiled at their antics. Bree was growing up so fast that it was rear when she was home without Riley trailing behind her and they had her to themselves.

It wouldn't be long before she was off to college and Esme dreaded the thought of not having any children in the big house; she and Carlisle loved the additional time that they had together and Esme blushed as she thought about how they could pass the time. Her eyes met Carlisle's over Bree's head and he gave her a knowing smile as his blue eyes darkened and Esme's blush deepened.

_Damn mindreading Cullen men!_

=====HS=====

The past two weeks had been a nightmare for Edward – and everyone that had the misfortune to have to be around him.

It had taken Emmett threatening to beat the shit out of him one night about four days after Bella had left.

Edward had taken to sitting at a corner of the bar; nursing a beer each night and being an ass to anyone who dared to so much as look in his direction. After he had snapped at Makenna and made her cry, Alistair had told him to leave which Edward had stubbornly refused to do.

Before it came to blows, Mack had phoned Emmett and Jasper. Emmett had strong-armed him down to the police station where he was locked up next to 'homeless Harry'; a drifter that came through town every few months and he had a standing invitation for a shower, a meal and a clean bed.

After spending the night and the following day (which was a Sunday and Jasper refused to let him out until Monday morning) miserable and angry, Edward had finally calmed down enough to think about why Bella had left.

He realized that he was still treating her as if she was a hapless teenager who didn't know what she wanted! He preached to Bella about exploring the world and achieving her goals, but he had not stopped to really listen to what her goals were! Now, as he sat in the small cell, he remembered how she had told him time and time again that she wanted nothing more than to put down roots in the small town of Hope Springs; how although she wanted to travel with him some day, that she had no desire to adventure too far from home.

Edward called himself a thousand names by the time that Alice and Rosalie brought him dinner that Sunday night. To their credit, neither women said, 'I told you so!' rubbed his nose in the fact that they had told him for months that Bella was going to snap. Instead, Alice had brought him a change of clothes and the three of them had sat in silence while Edward ate his dinner with a spoon and drank lukewarm tea from a tin cup.

Finally Edward had looked at them, tired and sad, "If she gives me another chance, I'm going to ask that girl to marry me. I was an idiot before."

Rosalie nodded while Alice squealed and clapped her hands, "Perfect! How does June ninth sound to you for a wedding?"

Edward shook his head, "Ali!"

Alice grinned, "Not this year, silly boy – we will need a year to organize this wedding; I'm talking about Bella's birthday next year? I happen to know that it's a Saturday. What do you say?" she said as her eyes began to sparkle with excitement.

Edward looked from one to the other before a small smile appeared on his face, "I think that June ninth is a perfect date – that's if she says 'yes'."

Rosalie snorted, "Of course Bells will say 'yes', she has shit for brains when it comes to you, Edward. She is just like the rest of us – a sucker for a pretty face and a smooth talker!"

The next morning when Jasper arrived at work, he was surprised to see that Edward was dressed and clean shaved, curtsey of Alice and Rose and he was looking surprisingly chipper for someone who had just spent thirty-six hours behind bars.

Jasper let him out and was shocked when Edward sprang forward and hugged him tightly, until Jasper gasped from lack of air.

"What the hell, man?" he said as Edward chuckled and he pushed him away.

"I'm getting married!" Edward said.

Jasper looked at him and then he looked inside the empty cell.

"Are you taking drugs? Have you relapsed?"

Edward laughed, "Shut up Ass! I'm serious; I'm getting married!"

Jasper rolled his eyes, "Whatever. You do realize that you sound like Darla, when she went through that 'Delta Dawn' phase about five years ago, right? You aren't going to walk around town in a tuxedo are you?"

Edward laughed, "Only on June ninth next year, Bro! Am I free to go? I have some apologizing around town to do."

Jasper nodded in agreement, "Yes you do and you'd better put the 'rents and Mak and Alistair at the top of your list followed by Mike, Jess, Embry – oh what the hell, just go to the town meeting tomorrow night and make a public apology!"

Edward had spent the past week making peace with the fellow citizens of Hope Springs and then he had a long talk with Pastor Craig who had laughed when Edward had asked him to clear his diary a year in advance, but he had done as he was asked and Saturday, June ninth of the following year was duly highlighted with his bold writing stating, _'Cullen and Swan Nuptials'._

=====HS=====

As Edward sat talking to Bella for the next hour, the fences were slowly mended and the hurt of the past few weeks faded slightly. They talked over everything and Edward assured Bella that his reluctance to move forward was born from his own insecurities and not from anything that she had done.

After talking things over, Bella decided that she would stay for the duration of the two weeks, with Edward's blessing and encouragement. Bella would finish working just one day before her twenty-first birthday.

Edward asked if he could fetch her and Bella agreed eagerly. She didn't want a big party, although she had loved her birthday celebration the previous year, she really just wanted to spend the time with Edward.

Bella promised to phone him the following evening and after whispering their love for each other they hung up. Bella sighed happily and then she almost skipped to bed and for the first time on over two weeks, she slept well as she dreamed of green eyes and sexy smiles.

Edward put the phone down with a grin. He felt better than he had in months. Edward stood up quickly and went to find his parents; he was going to need some help to pull this off.

Bella had forgiven him and now the only thing that he had to do was to move into overdrive to plan Bella's birthday surprise and the perfect wedding proposal!

**A/N: Well, well, things are heating up and changing once again. Our little Bella is growing up and so we are onto her birthday and another time jump in the next chapter.**


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

HOPE SPRINGS

_**At the end of chapter 30 – **_

_**Bella promised to phone him the following evening and after whispering their love for each other they hung up. Bella sighed happily and then she almost skipped to bed and for the first time on over two weeks, she slept well as she dreamed of green eyes and sexy smiles.**_

_**Edward put the phone down with a grin. He felt better than he had in months. Edward stood up quickly and went to find his parents; he was going to need some help to pull this off.**_

_**Bella had forgiven him and now the only thing that he had to do was to move into overdrive to plan Bella's birthday surprise and the perfect wedding proposal!**_

**CHAPTER 31 – Birthday Wishes **

The small hamlet of Hope Springs was agog with the gossip of Doc Cullen's (the young one) mental breakdown, his subsequent month in jail (Darla insisted that he was actually in a mental institution for at least three weeks after he was jailed by his own brother no less).

It was of little or no consequence to her that the rest of the townspeople saw him and spoke with him just the day after he was released from Jasper's custody; that was her story and she was sticking to it!

And then there was his curious and crazy dash across town from his parents home, to Pastor Craig, where he interrupted a morning worship meeting, and Miss Cathy could attest to the fact that the poor man looked deranged as he virtually pulled the minister into his office, whispering frantically all the while.

The dust had not even settled when once again, the Cullen's seemed to be up to something and Darla found it most inconvenient that no one was letting her in on the secret!

The new mayor, the older Doc Cullen was seen speeding away with his wife and his daughters-in-law in tow and only returned to town late at night. Darla bit her thumb nail as she stared at her boss's office door which was firmly closed. It had been like that for the past two hours and she could not hear what Edward, Emmett or Jasper were saying and each time that she even got up from her seat, Deputy Eric Yorkie was there shaking his head and staring at her disapprovingly.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her ample bosom as her bleached blonde hair shook alarmingly, "Well, I don't know why there are so many secrets in this town all of a sudden!" she whined.

Eric hid his smile behind his hand, "Well, maybe some people don't want all six hundred and ninety-nine, sorry, I forgot about the latest baby boom, seven hundred and four residents of Hope Springs to know their business, Miss Town Crier!"

_Along with Alice and Jasper's new arrival, Dylan Cullen, who had been born in March and had weighed a very healthy eight pounds; there had been several other births._

_Doctor Ned Davis and Miss June Morrow had been going steady for months and not too many people were surprised when he purchased a cottage on the other side of town and they had moved in together. What had shocked people was when only a month later they had walked down the aisle together and then June began to show her thickening waistline and only a week before she had given birth to twin girls, Rome and Paris._

_The most surprising latest addition to the small town were Billy and Sue Black's daughter, Rachelle, that was born in May, just one month after the birth of Ness and Jacob Black's second son, Jerome! Sue had gone to see Edward just before Christmas, to complain about the 'cold that she could not get rid of.' After careful examination, Edward had been stumped and he drew several vials of blood for testing._

_He had been so surprised by the result of one of the tests that he ran it again and then he asked Ned to run the test a third time._

_Edward had asked Billy and Sue to come and see him and Sue had feared everything from Cancer to menopause, so when the words, "Sue, Billy, um, you are pregnant kids!" came out of his mouth, Sue had been so shocked that she had burst out laughing while Billy had turned to her in shock and asked, "Who's the father?"_

_Sue had punched him to the floor, at the time, but all in all the couple were thrilled and even though Jacob had been grossed out at the time, he was secretly ecstatic that he was going to have a sibling after all the years of being an only child._

Darla glared at him, "You know Deputy Yorkie, you would do well to remember who brings in fresh donuts from Sue Black's Bakery each day!"

Eric snorted, "And you Miss Darla would do well to remember that you seem to feed all of those donuts to a certain town misfit, namely one Randall Wilber!"

Darla gasped and turned bright red as she stood up and pulled her too small top over her heaving breasts.

The unlikely love affair that had sprung up between the overly bleached police dispatcher and clerk and the man who had had more career paths than an employment agency, was perhaps the worst kept secret in all of Central Vermont. Everyone from three counties over knew the steam-filled little black Rabbit belonged Randall and everyone had seen it parked behind barns, in fields and once they had gotten stuck in a snow drift, but hadn't noticed it until Jacob's tow truck arrived to pull them out. He had ignored the crouched down figure in the back seat with difficulty as a red faced Randall had tried to bluster his way through an explanation, which may or may not have included and alluded to spotting alien ships in the night sky. Jacob didn't have the heart to point out that it was barely evening and that there was no night sky as the clouds were thick and black!

Eric winced as he watched the large orbs struggling to free themselves from Darla's bright orange and white skin tight top, and he prayed that they would not spring free, "You, sir are no gentleman and I shall be telling that to your poor wife when I see her!"

Eric barked out a laugh, "She thanks the good Lord that I'm no gentleman, Miss Darla and by the time winter comes the proof will be in the nursery that I am definitely no gentleman!"

Darla picked up her humongous purse and swept out of the police station as Eric and his two deputies, Aaron Dorati and Stephen Youngblood giggled like five year olds.

Eric glanced at Jasper's closed door and then turned to his young deputies, "Not a word about this meeting to anyone, hear? Darla and Cathy will be all over this like white on rice if they even suspect what is going on here."

Aaron and Stephen stopped laughing immediately and nodded, "Yes Sir!" they parroted before Stephen spoke again, "But we don't know what's going on, Deputy Sir".

Eric nodded, "That's right, because those women are lethal! Right then, get out there and make sure that you check all the paths in Dorset Common this time, we don't want Mrs. Abernathy to discover more of 'Satan's spawn fornicating in the bushes!' now do we?"

"No Sir!"

Eric grinned to himself as he watched them scurry out of the small building. He had been surprised when Jasper had volunteered to take on two brand new recruits for training, but they were both pleasant young men, who seemed to be terrified of him and Jasper.

Just then his phone rang and without thinking, he picked it up, "Deputy Yor"

"_JUST TELL ME WHY YOU WOULD TELL DARLA FUCKING BIGMOUTH THAT YOU KNOCKED ME UP, while you were having DEVIANT SEX WITH ME?"_

Eric dropped the phone as if he had been bitten and his balls began to ache. Fuck! He had forgotten what a lunatic 'pregnant Angela' was during the first trimester.

"_Baby,"_

"_Don't you DARE 'baby' me you WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT! AND DON'T COME HOME!"_ Angela screamed before he heard her burst into noisy, snotty tears before the phoned was slammed down.

Fuck.

Eric sighed and adjusted his glasses nervously, Angie never used bad language and she hardly ever raised her voice – except when she was pregnant. He heard chuckling and looked up to find the Cullen brothers laughing at him.

"Man, you are so fucked!" Emmett said with a laugh.

Eric glared at him, "No one likes a 'know-it-all', Emmett"

Emmett ignored his friend's obvious bad mood, "Oh, you young kids will never learn – 'you never, ever mess with a pregnant woman' and even more than that, you never talk out of turn! You boys need me to teach you some of my moves!" he quipped as he comically wiggled his eyebrows.

Jasper sneered at the self satisfied smirk on his older brother's face, "Listen here wise-ass, you are almost always in the first man in the dog-house, when it comes to your wife, except for Edward here, who seems to have inherited your sad and pathetic 'moves'."

Edward elbowed Jasper in the ribs and Eric knew that it was going to end up in a tussle, "Listen Chief, I need to find out if there are enough roses in Hope Springs so that Ang will let me back in the house before the new baby is born, can I head out early?"

Jasper smiled sympathetically, "Sure Eric. If she doesn't though, you can always come and sleep in our spare room."

After Eric had left Jasper turned to Edward, "So, everything is finalized on your side. Have you packed yet?"

Edward grimaced, "Alice and Mom are packing our bags. I'm leaving first thing in the morning."

Emmett looked uncharacteristically serious as he clamped his hand on his younger brother's shoulder, "Make sure that Bella knows that you are ALL in, Bro. Life is too short to squander it away on being prideful or shit like that. Don't ever let her feel as if she isn't enough for you again, or else you will have Jass and me to deal with."

Edward nodded, "Thanks Em. I appreciate you standing by me."

The three men hugged each other before they broke apart with half hearted punches to each other's arms.

"Get out of here, both of you!" Jasper ordered with a push.

Edward made his way home only to find that his mother and sister-in-law had finished packing his and Bella's luggage that they would need for the next ten days. They had also emptied Edward's fridge, packed the dog food, doggie treats, toys and paraphernalia and had taken the two dogs back to Alice's house, where they were set to be spoiled for the next week and a half.

Esme had left him a note informing him of everything that they had taken care of and she had issued an invitation to join his parents for dinner that evening.

After taking a shower and making sure that the timer for the lights was set, Edward drove to his parents' home.

Bree was away at a youth camp and the house was unusually quiet when Edward walked in the front door. He was overcome with a feeling of nostalgia when he heard his mother tinkering in the kitchen as she spoke to Carlisle quietly, while jazz music played softly in the sitting room. Edward spotted his father sitting at the kitchen counter reading the newspaper, while making small talk.

It reminded him so much of years gone by when he would get home from school and his brothers were still at sports practice, that he couldn't help the silly grin from spreading. Esme looked up from what she was doing and she noticed him in the doorway.

"Hello Son. What are you doing all the way over there?"

Edward kissed his mother's cheek before he walked over and greeted his father with a one armed hug before he slid into the seat next to him.

"How are you doing?" Carlisle asked him. He was relieved to see that Edward had recovered the spring in his step and the dark shadows beneath his eyes had faded.

He and Esme worried more about their second youngest child than any of the others. Edward had always been more sensitive and thoughtful and at times he was so reluctant to change or to adventure out of his 'norm' that Carlisle worried that he would push anyone away that tried to break him out of his self imposed rigidity.

Ever since Edward had 'slipped' so many years before, he had become so entrenched in his routine and he was so conscious of being mindful of others that he often took decisions thinking that it was 'best' for others and it had resulted in many argument in the ensuing years.

Edward smiled at his father, "I'm doing much better. I've gone for a couple of sessions with my psychologist and I'm beginning to grasp the whole, 'hands off' approach. Bella is a grown woman and I need to respect that she does know her own mind."

Carlisle nodded in agreement, "Have you been talking to each other?"

"Yeah we have. It's kind of providential that she left her phone here because she has controlled the communication between us. It's put a lot of things into perspective for me, you know? I think that it's also made Bella realize that she has as much 'power' in this relationship as I do."

Esme carried their laden plates to the counter and Carlisle fetched three beers from the fridge. Edward smiled at the huge beef burgers, the mound of French fries and the large salad that Esme put in front of him. It was so reminiscent of summer meals from his youth and his mother read his mind as she winked at him.

"I knew that you would need some comfort food." She simply said as they carried their beers and plates out to the back deck.

They ate making small talk and it was only when the plates were packed into the dishwasher and they were all drinking cups of coffee that the subject of Edward's trip came up again.

"So are you going to tell us what exactly you have planned for this trip?" Esme said casually although Edward knew that she was practically bouncing out of her seat in anticipation.

Edward rolled his eyes, "Okay, Mom, you've been a real trooper for being so patient so I suppose that I can give you a few details. We are driving to New York tomorrow and we will just chill out for the rest of the day. On her birthday, which is the day after, I have booked an afternoon at the spa for Bella and a haircut and shave for myself," Carlisle chuckled as Esme nodded her approval.

"After that, we have the dinner."

Edward's ears were pink as he envisaged what would take place after dinner if all of his plans worked. Timing was everything and Edward had to throw a lot of money and time into the planning of the magical day. He didn't care and he was prepared to spend everything he had if Bella would just agree to be his wife at the end of it.

Esme went up to bed a little while later, cautioning the men not to stay up too late.

They spoke for a while before they walked through the house to check that all was locked up before they walked up the stairs.

When they reached the landing Edward turned to his father, "Dad, I'm sorry for causing you and Mom to worry all the time. I know that I'm a grown ass man and your days of worrying should be over."

Carlisle turned and put his hands on Edward's shoulders. He stared into his son's green eyes that were brighter than Esme's, and even more memorizing.

"Edward, we will always worry about you, my son. You are our child and we love you and just because you are a 'grown ass man' as you so eloquently put it, you are still our child. One day when you and Isabella bless us with your children, you will understand. You need to realize that you can't control everything, and that sometimes it's okay to let go."

The two men stared at each other for a moment before Edward hugged Carlisle and felt his father's cool lips on his cheek, "I have always been proud of you, Edward. Bella is a very lucky girl."

Edward smiled his crooked smile, "Well, we'll see if she feels lucky when I ask her to marry me."

=====HS=====

Bella's bags stood packed and ready the next morning as she turned to give the small bungalow one last check. She had enjoyed her month much more than she had ever thought possible.

She had spent her evenings getting to know the other camp leaders and pouring over her lessons. The previous day she had written her final test and sent in her assignment for Environmental Education. After having discussed it with Godfrey, who she was surprised to discover, was a qualified principal, she had decided to add the minor subject to her course load.

She knew that Seth Clearwater, the principal of Hope Springs Elementary was a keen outdoor enthusiast and he and several volunteers took the children on field trips throughout the year and he encouraged all of his staff and their families to participate. Bella knew that he would be very pleased with her decision to add onto her degree.

Bella also found that she loved learning about the environment and the wildlife around her.

With a final nod, she picked up her bag and closed and locked the door and made her way across to the admin office where Winifred was busy.

"Morning Bella! Are you looking forward to your last day?"

Bella smiled at the older woman. Winifred had never been able to have children and she and Godfrey had gotten over their loss by first becoming foster parents and then to buying the camp and hosting children throughout the year.

"Morning Winnie. I must admit that I'm sad to be saying goodbye to the kids and everyone here, but I'm really looking forward to seeing Edward and going home."

Winnie winked at her, "Oh I'm sure that you are looking forward to seeing that rather fetching young man. Now, if I was a few years younger…"

"Are you talking about chasing after young men again, Sweetheart?" Godfrey said as he walked into the office.

Bella and Winifred laughed, while Godfrey shrugged, "She always did have a thing for Doc Cullen – you'd better watch out Bella."

Winnie laughed as she walked over and hugged her husband, "I only lust after you, Darling." She said and Godfrey growled good-naturedly as he leaned down to kiss her lips.

Bella looked away for a moment. She loved how affectionate they were with each other but sometimes their affection just made her miss Edward even more.

Just then Bella heard the first car arrive for the end of camp celebration. There would be a few sports events, a mid morning brunch and finally the 'graduation' ceremony before everyone left at midday. She walked to the door; "I'll see you out there."

The children were strung out on excitement and it was all that Bella could do to keep them together as she helped each one put on their 'tiny explorer' T-shirts that they had designed and made the week before. The shirts were white with brightly colored hand-prints all over them with each child's name written in black. Bella's hand print was at the back of the shirt with the camp logo above it and the slogan 'love life, love learning' and her name below it in her handwriting.

The kids were ecstatic and they were excited to give their parents matching T-shirts in their sizes. Bella had to wipe tears away quickly when she watched Tommy carefully place a T-shirt over his mother's head. She was in a wheelchair, but Bella was happy to see that she was looking stronger and better. Winifred had taken Bella to meet the woman and Bella had been afraid when she looked at her, how fragile she had seemed.

Bella heard her name being called and she turned around only to see Edward making his way across the lawn with Godfrey at his side.

Nancy turned at Bella's gasp and nudged her, "Go on – go get your man!"

Bella needed no second bidding as she flew across the grass, with her hair flying and her long legs stretching to cross the distance.

Edward put his hand over his pounding heart as he watched his beautiful Bella racing towards him. Her long hair was lighter, redder and shone in the sunlight. Her arms and legs were lean and tanned and Edward noticed that her body had changed and was more toned than before.

Finally he looked at her face and saw the tears running down her cheeks but she was grinning as she got to within a few feet of him and he braced himself and opened his arms.

Bella wound her arms and legs around his waist as she laughed and cried. She was panting, sweaty and babbling nonsense but she did not let go of him for a second.

Edward laughed as pure joy bubbled up inside of him as he held her small body against him.

Finally Bella slid slowly to the ground and she pushed her hair over her shoulders as she pulled back and looked up at Edward.

"Hey" she said.

Edward could not stop smiling, "Hey yourself."

Bella reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand lovingly, "I can't believe that you are finally here."

"I missed you so much Love."

Edward watched as several emotions flittered across her face. Longing, regret, sadness, joy, guilt.

Bella bit her lip as she thought of the time that she had lost but Edward quickly shook his head, "_Don't Isabella_. This is no time for regret or self-recrimination. If anyone is to blame here, it's me. I was the unfeeling ass and you have nothing to be sorry for. So please, let's enjoy the morning and then we can spend all the time together that we need, okay?" he kissed her forehead and held out his hand.

Bella took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay." She slipped her hand into his and they made their way back to her group that was staring at them with interest.

The rest of the morning passed quickly. Bella loved to watch Edward interact with the children. He was so easy going and at ease with their five and six year old candor and he never became impatient at their endless chatter and questions.

Bella covered her mouth to stifle her giggles as she and Edward sat under the shade of huge dogwood and birch trees as they ate their picnic lunch with their group.

Currently Edward was being cross questioned by Tommy, Adam and Ricky and Bella kind of felt sorry for her boyfriend as she shared an amused look with Tommy's mother.

"So, Mister _Edburt_, are you like Miss Bella's daddy?"

Bella sniggered but jumped when she felt a sharp pinch in her side.

"No, Adam, I'm Miss Bella's boyfriend. I'm not old enough to be her daddy."

Adam looked over at his own father and then back at Edward. He shook his head, "Hmm, I don't know, Mister Edburt, you sure look kinda old to me."

"Adam! That was rude! Now apologize to Mister Edward." His mother admonished.

Adam pushed his wild dark hair out of his eyes and looked at Edward sadly, "Sorry, Mister Edburt."

Edward shook his head, "That's okay Adam, you were only being honest and honesty is a very good thing."

"IT IS?" Ricky shouted even though he was only sitting a few feet away.

"Indoor voice!" Ricky's father, mother and Bella said at the same time and then they smiled sheepishly at each other.

"What's honesty?" Tommy asked quietly.

Edward smiled at the boy, "It's when you tell the truth, even if it gets you into trouble."

Tommy thought for a moment, "Like when I told Miss Bella that I broke the window when I was throwing the ball at Adam?"

Bella beamed at him and automatically brushed his hair out of his eyes, "That is exactly right, Tommy. I was very proud of you."

Ricky looked at Edward and Bella knew what was going to come out of his mouth but she was powerless to stop him.

"Ri" she began in a warning but he smiled at Edward innocently.

"What do you do, Mister Edward?"

"I'm a doctor." Edward returned the little boy's cute smile.

"Ricky," his mother began with a frown but Ricky was too quick.

"My daddy's a doctor!" said with excitement, "MY DADDY IS A GYNACOMOLOGIST AND HE LOOKS AT VAGINAS ALL DAY LONG!"

Edward's mouth fell open as Ricky's father turned red as a beetroot as he walked forward and swept his son into arms and carried him off for a 'private talk'.

Edward noticed that most of the adults within earshot were sniggering amongst themselves. He looked up to see Ricky's mother, Bella and the other parents in the group looking at him and giggling.

He felt his cheeks heat up as he took a long drink from his juice box.

After a minute Edward looked up at Ricky's mom with a shrug, "Your son is very advanced for his age." He said pushing a stuffed egg into his mouth, with a rueful smile.

Ricky's mother explained quietly that he had only learned his father's occupation a few months before when her parents had been visiting and her father, who had always disliked his son-in-law, had taken great delight in telling his grandson what his father did for a living.

Soon it was time for 'graduation' and Godfrey, Winnie and all of the leaders made sure that each child was awarded a special award, certificate or trophy to bolster their confidence and to celebrate their uniqueness.

The children cheered and clapped as loudly as the adults but Bella was almost brought to tears as the last award of the day, the trophy for the children's and teachers choice award was presented to her.

When Godfrey read out her name, Bella gasped loudly as her children began to scream and clap with glee.

"Come on up here Miss Bella."

Bella stood up and tugged on the ends of her cut offs as she walked up onto the small make shift stage.

Godfrey held out his arm and hugged Bella to his side, "This little lady came to us a newbie not so long ago, but she wormed her way into all of our hearts. Bella, you have a passion for teaching and love for children that is heartwarming, but you don't stop there. You have reached out to many of us and we are very happy to call you a friend." Bella looked at her feet and Edward knew that she was fighting off tears.

"Now all we have to do is to convince you to come back next summer and we will even let you bring the doc there with you!"

Bella blushed and hugged Winnie before she darted off the stage as quickly as she could.

Soon the camp was over and Bella had said her last goodbyes, with promises to stay in contact with many of her new friends. Edward had packed Bella's bag into his 'town car', a black Volvo XC90 that he didn't drive as often as he liked, and he watched her as she waved goodbye and walked to his car. The sway of her hips in the pretty summer dress that was covered in tiny flowers and made from fabric that clung to her body and moved over it at the same time that Bella had changed into, coupled with her long, lean and tanned legs and feet pushed into the simple white sandals were enough to almost cause him to lose his resolve to wait.

Bella climbed in beside him and hummed appreciatively at the cool air-conditioning as Edward started the car and drove down the long driveway.

Edward swallowed thickly as Bella put her hand on his thigh and let out a quiet sigh.

"Are you okay love?" he asked.

Bella nodded as she rolled her head to look at him, "I'm better than okay. It's like I can breathe for the first time in weeks. I know that sounds odd, but…"

"No, actually, it makes perfect sense. Now sit back and relax because we have a way to go."

Bella frowned as they passed a sign board, "Hey! Where are we going? Don't we have to go back that way to get to Vermont?"

Edward turned with a grin, "Do you trust me?"

Bella frowned, "What's going on, Edward?"

"Do you trust me?"

Suddenly Edward's words were not as light hearted as they had meant to be and Bella could feel the tension crackle through the air.

Edward's words went far deeper than they seemed to at first. He wasn't only talking about now, in this car.

Bella bit her lip as her eyes met Edward's as he stopped the car.

His eyes were dark and stormy and Bella could feel the anxiety rolling off him in waves.

"Isabella," Edward cleared his throat, "do you trust me to take you on a journey or do you want me to take you back to Hope Springs?"

Suddenly Bella knew that how she answered him was vitally important to their future together.

"Edward, I trust you with my life, so if you are taking me somewhere then I say, let's get on with it!"

Edward's body actually sagged with relief at her words and he answered her smile with an ear slitting one of his own that seemed to light up the car.

Bella laughed and squeezed his leg, "Come on silly man; let's get moving! I can't wait to see when you are taking me to!"

Edward let out a loud laugh and put the car in drive and pulled off quickly.

Bella leaned forward and flicked the radio on to play quietly in the background as they caught up on all of the time that they had missed with stories of 'home' and the camp.

They stopped in Hartford, Connecticut for a late lunch and went for a walk to stretch their legs before Edward filled up with gas and they headed into New York.

Edward smiled because Bella had stopped asking where they were going to but with each marker, she grinned a little more and Edward could see the excitement mounting in her.

By the time Bella could see the New York skyline, she was beaming and bouncing in her seat like Bree and Edward couldn't help laugh at her.

Bella tried to pout, but she couldn't keep the smile or the giggles to herself. Edward was sorry for a moment that he was driving and that he couldn't just sit and look at her. Her eyes were shining brightly and her entire face was alight with excitement and happiness.

He chuckled as she sat with her mouth slightly open as the skyscrapers got closer.

"Oh my word – it's, it's … wow…" Bella rambled.

Edward grinned and looked for the turn off that he needed. He always enjoyed visiting New York and he enjoyed the change of pace. As content as he was to live and work in Hope Springs, there was nothing that could compare to a holiday in NYC.

Bella didn't notice the traffic jams as she sat staring up the buildings. There was so much to see that she knew she would never be able to take it all in.

_She was in New York City!_ She giggled at the pure excitement that was bubbling up inside her and her small hands flew up to cover her mouth as the noise burst out of her.

Edward's heart swelled with love as he took in Bella's big brown eyes, alight with excitement and the flush on her cheeks that had nothing to do with the heat and everything to do with the fact that she had dreamed of coming to this city as a child and now she was here.

Bella's hand reached out and she clasped Edward's free hand in hers, "Thank you, Edward. This is the best birthday present that I could ever ask for! Oh my God, look! We're on BROADWAY!"

Bella was oblivious to the fact that they were barely moving. She exclaimed over every new sight or landmark that Edward pointed out.

Edward had never seen her so animated and he loved seeing her like that. He vowed to himself that he was going to fill Bella's life with moments just like this one.

_Moments and days full of wonder and happiness, for the rest of his life, if she would let him!_

As he rounded Columbus Circle and turned onto Central Park South Bella gripped his knee and squealed.

"Is that – _Central Park_?" The last words came out of her mouth in a reverent whisper and Edward chuckled.

"It is, my Love. You are so easy to please."

Bella obviously wasn't listening and he smiled as she hummed in agreement.

Her eyes grew even bigger a short while later as he pulled in front of the majestic entrance of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

"Oh. My. God! Edward, what have you done? What, I'm, Edward, this is too much!" Bella stuttered in a panic.

She had never seen a hotel or any building as beautiful as the one that towered above them. A throat clearing made Bella jump and she stared at the man in the top hat and uniform.

Bella brushed her shaking palms down her thin summer dress. She wanted to cry! Why would Edward not warn her and make her change into something – well, she didn't really have anything that would do this place justice.

Just as she was about to freak out completely, she felt a large warm hand take both of her trembling ones in his grip and she turned anxious eyes towards him.

"Isabella, baby look at me." Edward spoke quietly and clearly and Bella responded to the calm authority in his voice.

"Now, listen to me. I promise you, I would never, ever put you in a position where you were out of place. My family and I have stayed here many times before and it is the middle of summer in New York City, for crying out loud! You are not dressed inappropriately and neither am I, do you understand?"

He waited until Bella nodded hesitantly, "Good, now; remember that I asked you before if you trust me?" Bella nodded again.

"Well, do you? Do you trust me to take care of you and to protect you from humiliation and embarrassment? Do you trust me to set you on the right path and not to put you in harm's way?" he asked quietly.

Bella chewed her bottom lip as she searched his eyes. There was only love and truth and Bella couldn't stop herself from replaying to him, "I trust you."

Edward smiled slowly and looked over her shoulder to where the uniformed man stood patiently waiting for them to exit the car.

Bella let out a shaky breath as Edward climbed out of the car and quickly walked around to Bella's door.

The Major Domo opened Bella's door and Edward reached in and helped her out.

The man tipped his hat to Bella and nodded to Edward, "Good Afternoon, Madam, Sir and welcome to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. We hope that you enjoy your stay. Will you be needing your vehicle this evening Sir?"

Bella smiled uneasily at the man, before she looked around her. Once her door had been opened, Bella had been assaulted by the sounds and smells of the city.

It was loud.

She felt Edward's hand slide around the small of her back and she felt some of the tension leave her body.

She smiled at the doorman with more ease before coming to a grinding halt just inside the entrance.

"Fuck me!"

Bella slapped her hands over her mouth as her voice carried through the large reception area.

Edward chuckled and kissed her hair and several people turned to smile at her unbiased reaction.

Bella's cheeks reddened when she caught a few disapproving glares and Edward scowled at the offenders as he led Bella towards the reception desk.

Bella snapped back to attention as she watched the woman behind the counter greet Edward with a breathy voice, "Good afternoon Sir. Do you have a reservation?"

Bella narrowed her eyes at the woman and she tucked her arm around Edward's waist as she kissed the side of his arm possessively. _Take that bitch – he is spoken for!_

Edward smirked at Bella's uncharacteristic possessiveness and he smiled down at her before he turned back to the receptionist, "Yes, we do have a reservation – under Cullen?"

The woman tapped on the keyboard before giving Edward an extra warm smile, "Welcome, Doctor Cullen. Your Parkview suite is ready for you, Sir."

Edward put his arm around Bella's waist and pulled her closer to his side, "Come on, my Love. We have lots to do before the clock strikes midnight."

They made their way to the bank of elevators and were soon up on the fifteenth floor where they were escorted to their suite by their bellhop.

Edward had wanted to reserve a suite on one of the upper floors, but Alice had pointed out that Bella would lose a lot of the atmosphere if she was too high up and Edward agreed.

As soon as the door was opened and Edward ushered Bella inside, he stood to one side as their bags were discreetly stowed in their bedroom and the door was closed quietly.

=====HS=====

Bella hadn't had a cognitive thought since she had realized that they were going to New York. It was somewhere around White Plains, when Bella had begun to see the signs and as they drew closer, she could just feel the energy that seemed to radiate from the city.

It was without a doubt the most spectacular sight she had ever seen in her life. Los Angeles paled in comparison. Bella was completely enthralled and overwhelmed when Edward had pulled into the Ritz-Carlton Hotel that overlooked Central Park. She could see the horse drawn carriages waiting to take tourists on rides through the park. Everywhere there was a cacophony of sound, sights and smells and that was just standing on the sidewalk!

Bella had always dreamed of travelling – there was so much that she wanted to see but standing on a New York sidewalk as people and cars bustled around her made all of her other dreams fade into the distance.

She walked slowly over the one of the two large windows that overlooked Central Park.

_Oh my…_

In the recess of her memory something stirred. Bella had seen this view before. If not this, then something very close to it.

_**She closed her eyes and for a moment she was somewhere up high. She could feel hair beneath her tiny fingers as she stared wide-eyed at the green forest in front of her as a deep voice rumbled somewhere below her.**_

"_**Look at that, Bells. That's Central Park, baby girl. Come on, let's go and see this huuuge climbing frame of Alice in Wonderland!"**_

"_**Alice in Wonderland, Daddy – are you sure?"**_

_**A deep chuckle rumbled, "Of course I am silly! Who am I?"**_

"_**You are Daddy - The Chieffffff! Yaaaay!"**_

_**More laughter.**_

"Bella? Love, are you okay?" Edward's voice was full of concern.

Bell spun around and saw that they were alone and then she flung herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Huh? Oh! Oh yes, I'm fine! Oh my God Edward, this is unbelievable!"

Edward turned her around and wrapped his arms around her waist as he spent the next several minutes pointing out buildings and places of interest.

Bella tried to take it all in, there was so much that she wanted to see and do and she wondered if they would have time.

She quickly turned around and gripped Edward's arms, "Hey! How long are we here for? Will we have time to go to Ellis Island and oh! We need to go shopping for everyone! I want to go to Rockefeller Center and can we try and go to the Empire State Building, even though I know that the queues are insane and of course we need to go to Ground Zero and humph!"

Bella glared at Edward as he put his hand over her mouth to stop her from talking. She struggled for a moment but at the steely look in his eyes, she eventually gave up trying to pry his hand off her mouth and stood glaring at him.

Edward waited until she was quiet before he spoke, "Now; are you going to give me a chance to talk?" Bella nodded.

He narrowed his eyes, "Are you not going to interrupt me?" Bella nodded eagerly.

"Hmm, I wonder. Okay, if you promise to give me a chance, then I will answer almost all of your questions, understood?"

Bella growled and rolled her eyes and Edward chuckled as he leaned down and replaced his hand with his lips.

Bella's hands went from fisting the front of his T-shirt to snaking around his neck as she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss.

Edward groaned deeply as he pulled her more against him and they realized at the same time that this was their first time being alone for a month.

Suddenly Bella didn't care where they were; she needed to feel Edward inside her.

She was panting as Edward lifted his head. His eyes were almost black and heavy lidded.

Bella licked her swollen lower lip.

"Edward, I need you, like NOW!"

Edward's fingers tightened on her hips and without saying a word he scooped her up into his arms and made his way from the living room into the bedroom.

Bella didn't have the time or the inclination to look around. Her eyes stayed locked with his as he lowered her onto the soft bed.

Without breaking their stare, Edward crawled up the bed, until he was hovering over her.

Bella felt her stomach muscles tighten as she watched Edward swallow. The sight of his Adam's apple moving in his throat had a profound effect on Bella and she felt a rush of moisture seep into her panties.

Her hands felt sweaty and her legs shook as she opened them wider and reached up to pull Edward's hips towards her.

"Please, Babe, I need you…" she whimpered.

Her hands slipped around and Edward hissed as her fingers gently scratched against his cock that was straining though the denim.

"Fuck, Bella. I'm not going to last…"

Bella shook her head, "I need you hard and fast Edward."

Edward grunted and within seconds Bella's dress was up around her waist and her panties had been pushed to one side.

His jeans were unbuttoned and pushed to his knees and finally, finally Edward gripped her hips and with an almost imperceptible nod from Bella, Edward plunged inside her heat.

They both shouted at the sudden sensations and Edward had to hold Bella still for a second.

"Just wait… fuck… wait, baby…"

Once he felt a little more in control Edward began to move in and out while Bella thrashed and fisted her hair.

"Touch yourself baby." Edward urged.

Bella needed no second bidding and her hand moved down to cup her breast before she pinched her nipple between two fingers. Her other hand moved between them and he felt her fingers touch the wet and warm place where they were joined.

Edward felt her juices gush at the added stimulation and he bucked into her harder, faster, making Bella quiver and then she was shouting as her entire body shook with the force of her orgasm.

Edward didn't wait for her to stop shaking as he let go of reason and he bucked and pounded inside her until the spiral snapped and then he came harder than he had in a long time.

They lay temporarily sated and sweaty in each other's arms. Bella lay sprawled across his chest as Edward played with her hair.

Their voices were quiet and peaceful in the beautiful room.

Bella looked around them.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Babe. This suite must have cost a fortune." She said quietly.

Edward hummed and rolled them over so that Bella lay beneath him, cradled between his legs.

"This is only the beginning, my love. I have planned a week of things for us to do, but if you want to change anything or you want to add something, then you just need to tell me, this is all about you. I was an overbearing ass, Bella and I am so sorry about that, but that's all changed now."

Bella laced her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck, "Edward," she began, but he shook his head.

"Please Baby, I need to say this."

Bella bit her bottom lip and nodded, "Okay".

His eyes reflected his remorse for the way that he had behaved.

"I don't ever want you to think that your opinion doesn't matter to me or that I don't think you are capable of running your own life or knowing your own mind. You are the strongest woman that I know and I have so much respect and admiration for you."

He let out a frustrated huff and sat up as he ran his hands through his hair.

Bella frowned and sat up as well. She had spotted the bar fridge earlier and she got up and fetched two bottles of water as Edward tried to gather his thoughts.

He had practiced what he was going to say for so long but being with her made his mind go to mush!

As he watched her walk back into their bedroom naked, he felt his semi hard dick begin to stir again and he mentally shouted at his inappropriate response.

Bella climbed onto the bed and handed him a bottle of water as she opened her own bottle and took a long swig.

"Hmm, that's better. Are you ready to carry on?" she asked.

Edward blew out a breath and nodded, "I just wanted to let you know, or maybe warn you that we Cullen men have a tendency to get a little high handed at times and…"

Bella's giggle and raised eyebrows stopped him, "What?"

Bella shook her head, "You have to ask? 'A _'little' _high handed at 'times'? Seriously Baby? You boys are the _poster children_ for high-handedness!"

Edward was relieved to see that she was not upset but amused, "Hey! How can you say that?"

Bella laughed harder, "Oh my God! I am _so_ phoning the girls and your mother! Edward, my darling, you Cullen men, maybe with the exception of your father, maybe, you are the biggest drama queens in the family and you always think that you know what is best for everyone!"

Edward bit his lip to try and hide his smile, "What? Me? Never!"

They laughed together and they felt any residual tension leave the room.

As their laughter faded, Edward looked at the small bedside clock.

"I've made reservations for dinner tonight, so why don't we have a shower?"

Bella nodded before she looked over at their bags that were still on the floor.

"Fuck! Our clothes are going to be ruined! I didn't hang them up!"

Edward smiled at her as he tweaked her nose and picked up the house phone.

He spoke quietly into the phone and turned to face her, "Housekeeping will be right up. Why don't you decide what you want to wear tonight so that they can press it for you? The rest of our stuff will be hung in the closet by the time we get home tonight."

Edward gave her an idea of what she needed to wear that evening and he handed her a bathrobe just before there was a discreet knock at the door.

Bella quickly threw the robe on and tightened the belt before she hurried over to her luggage and smiled when she saw that Esme had packed a lovely, crushproof, red dress on top with a set of low heels that would work well for dinner that evening.

The hotel maid greeted Bella quietly and she wheeled in a clothes trolley. She quickly loaded up the clothes that were to be ironed and assured them that they would be put away before their return that evening.

Bella fidgeted with embarrassment, but she felt better when the maid assured her that it was all part of the hotel service and would not cost any extra.

She and Edward made light work of putting the rest of their belongings away before they showered and got ready for dinner.

Edward groaned as he watched Bella put on the blood red underwear before she zipped the red dress closed. Their eyes met in the mirror and Edward put his hand over his heart dramatically, "You are going to be the death of me in that dress, Love! When did you get it?"

Bella eyed him before she turned her attention back to her makeup. She had swept her hair into a high ponytail and although she was wearing minimal make up, the bright red lipstick that she had found in a small makeup bag from Alice, was sexy and classy at the same time.

Bella shrugged as she looked at herself once more before she turned to face him, "Alice and Rose insisted on making me buy some 'grown up' outfits and there was an entire closet of stuff that came into Alice's shop from a designer. It's all sample stuff and there was quite a lot of outfits for me to wear for student teaching as well as some dressy dresses and shit."

Edward ran his hands down her arms and he held her hands in his, "Well, you look breathtaking and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to eat with you looking so good!"

Bella blushed with pleasure, "You look incredibly handsome yourself, Doctor Cullen, so I'd better sharpen my claws tonight!"

"No need, Love, I'm not leaving your side for an instant!" he quipped as they made their way to the bank of elevators.

Outside, Edward guided Bella to the taxi that was waiting for them and he sat back and watched as Bella's wide eyes seemed to take everything as they drove through the garment district to the Village.

They arrived at _Babo's_ in the West Village and Bella stood staring around her in awe.

Once they had been shown to their seats, Edward reached across and held Bella's hand lightly, "My parents love this place. We have eaten here a few times."

As they ate, Edward told Bella stories of his time in New York, when he was at medical school.

"Don't you keep in touch with any of the friends that you made here?" Bella asked as their plates were taken away.

Edward shook his head as he took a sip of his beer.

"Not really. I mean there are a couple of guys that I hear from occasionally but all in all, I really kept to myself after things fell apart. I didn't trust my judgment any longer, Bella and I was on such a tightly wound string that I just kept my head down and plowed through school. I was not very social."

Bella reached across and touched his hand and Edward looked up from the table cloth, "I'm sorry that you got hurt like that. It pains me that you lost so much confidence in yourself, Edward. I can only imagine how it must have felt to let your family and yourself down like that." She said quietly.

Edward lifted her hand and lightly kissed her fingers, "Thank you for your empathy, but my life turned out to be not so terrible, you know?" he grinned at her from under his lashes, "I have you, after all…"

Bella squirmed with pleasure at his softly spoken words, "Yes you do; you do have me for as long as you want me."

Bella was surprised at the serious look on his face, "Do you mean that?"

"Of course, I do! What do you think we are doing here?" she asked a little annoyed that he would question her motives again.

Edward held up his hands in surrender quickly, "I'm sorry! I'm not doubting you, Bella –"

"No?" she challenged.

Edward could see the steely determination in her eyes and he cursed himself for his carelessly spoken words.

"No! Sometimes, I just need to hear the words." He said feeling like an asshole for upsetting her.

Bella stared at him for a moment before she nodded slowly, "Okay then."

After a few moments of soft spoken apologies, Edward and Bella left the restaurant and headed back to the hotel.

They were both tired after a long and emotional day and they were more than ready for some sleep.

As the maid had promised, when they returned to the suite, their clothes were neatly hung in the closet. In addition to that, the lights had been turned down, their bed was ready and there was a decanter of brandy and an ice bucket of bottled water in the sitting room.

They decided to forgo drinks and they undressed quickly before they washed their faces and brushed their teeth side by side.

Bella crawled into bed first, with Edward just behind her. She lay facing the window and Edward pulled her against his chest as he nuzzled her neck.

"I love you." Bella whispered as her heavy eyes closed in contentment.

Edward kissed her bare shoulder and smiled against her sweet smelling skin, "Good night my Love."

=====HS=====

The next morning, Edward willed himself to get up, even though Bella was still fast asleep and pressed up against his morning wood.

He slipped his arms from around her and smiled as she grumbled and turned over to bury her head into his pillow with a soft sigh.

Edward showered quickly before he closed the door leading into the sitting room. He phoned down for their breakfast to be delivered before he phoned the concierge to confirm the bookings that he had made for the day.

They had a busy eighteen hours ahead of them but he wasn't sorry that he had arranged so much activity. As he waited for the breakfast to be delivered, Edward felt the coil of excitement mixed with anxiety in his stomach.

The day had arrived and he in a way he wanted to get it over with, but in another way, he wanted to savor each moment.

Finally there was a soft knock on the door and Edward moved aside so that the server could wheel the trolley inside.

Once the table had been set, complete with a vase of roses in the middle of the table and a small bottle of champagne and a jug of fresh orange juice, Edward walked back into the bedroom.

He smiled at the sight of Bella spread across the bed, the white sheet was pooled around the small of her back and one leg had been kicked free. Her dark hair was spread across her shoulders, tangled from her movement during the night.

Edward sat on the side of the bed and trailed one hand up her bare skin as he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Wake up birthday girl… Isabella Love, it's time to start your special day…" he kissed the small spot just below her ear and smiled as he felt her shiver delicately.

"Hmm… do I have to?" she whined. Edward chuckled at her cuteness.

He hummed and nudged her with his nose until she huffed and turned over. She brushed the hair out of her eyes as she opened them and blinked in the morning light.

"Hey – good morning, Sweetheart. Come on, breakfast is ready and waiting."

Bella sat up and pouted, "You said it's my birthday, so why can't we just stay here today?"

Edward chuckled as he tossed a T-shirt at her, "Because then you will miss the most spectacular day that I have planned for us here in…"

Suddenly Bella eyes grew wide and she let out an exclamation as she shot out of bed and raced over to the window before she spun around, almost tripping over her own toes, "New York! Baby! We're in New York! I thought that I had dreamt it!"

She hugged him quickly and walked into the sitting room without waiting for him, "God! I'm starving! Come on, Edward!"

Edward rolled his eyes and followed her, "Of course, I'm the slow one…"

Bella shrugged and grinned as she began to open the various cloches that covered the dishes that Edward had ordered.

Breakfast was challenging as Edward tried to reign Bella's excitement in long enough to get her to eat enough as he avoided giving her too much detail about her day.

Once she was finished eating Edward ushered her into the shower and he quickly called his parents to see if all of his plans had panned out the way that he wanted them to.

Bella emerged wearing the clothes that Edward had advised her to put on, a pair of caramel walking shorts, a light white sleeveless shirt and a pair of sneakers. Once again her hair had been pulled into a long pony tail.

Edward had a slightly battered looking book bag that held his wallet and a small purse that Bella insisted on taking as well as their agenda for the day.

"Where are we going to first?" Bella asked as she almost bounced along side him as they walked out of the hotel.

Edward smiled and pointed to a car that was waiting for them, "Into that car and then you'll see."

Bella growled but inside she was squealing with excitement. She knew that Edward was going to give her a day to remember.

Their first stop was the helipad near the Staten Island ferry and Bella gasped as she saw the helicopter that was waiting for them.

Edward held her hand firmly as he led her over to meet their pilot. He had paid an exorbitant amount for them to take a private ride, but twenty minutes later, as he snapped even more photographs of Bella as she stared out over the city sprawled below them, he knew that every dollar was worth it.

Bella was grinning and nodded at what the pilot was saying to her. Ever now and again she would look over to where Edward sat with his camera at the ready.

Bella glanced at him and rolled her eyes, "Are you looking?" she asked with mild exasperation.

Edward nodded with a wink and she huffed, "Down there, Silly! Not at me!"

Edward shrugged, "You are more exquisite than any scenery, Love." He said quietly.

It was only when he heard the pilot chuckle that he remembered they had on headphones and microphones and he glared at the back of the man's head.

Bella blushed but he saw the warm look that she gave him as he winked at her.

Forty-five minutes later, Jeffery, the pilot was smiling down at Bella as he pushed his aviator sunglasses on top of his head.

Edward's finger curled with impatience as he waited the man lean down and kiss Bella's cheek, "I hope that you will come and see me again one day, Bella. It was an honor to be a part of your birthday."

Jeffery smiled at Edward and ignored his growl, "Take care of her Edward, you are a very lucky man."

Edward reached forward and gripped Bella's hand in his as he pulled her out of Jeffery's reach, "I intend to." He said.

He heard Jeffery chuckle as they walked towards the waiting car.

"Ass!" Edward growled.

Bella swatted his stomach, "Don't be mean, he was very nice."

"Yeah, he was nicely checking you out!"

Bella shook her head, "Oh honestly! Where did you get that idea?"

Edward looked over his shoulder as he opened the door for Bella and he scowled as Jeffery gave him a mock salute, but all he said was, "Never mind, Love."

_Fucker!_

The car dropped them at the Grey Line Bus stop and they spent the next several hours riding around, hopping on and off busses and having a blast. Bella was over the moon when Edward took her to Grey's Papaya and then he waited in line for ages as she stared around them.

Edward smiled as he watched her chat away to other tourists.

Once they had eaten, Edward checked his watch and Bella almost clapped her hands when he told her that they were walking to the subway.

Edward just smiled indulgently as the other passengers eyed them with boredom and suspicion. Edward hid his smile as he kept an arm across Bella's shoulders as she babbled to him. The short walk to the hotel was enough to make them both sweaty. Instead of going to the elevators, Bella was shocked when Edward led her towards the frosted glass double doors leading to the La Prairie Spa. Bella's mouth snapped shut as the woman behind the counter greeted them in a soothing voice.

She showed them to a private room where they were given robes and their treatment for the next three hours was explained. They would have a couples massage, followed by a 'his and hers' facial as well as 'his and hers' manicures and pedicures. The woman showed them a platter of assorted fruit and organic drinks and told them to enjoy themselves before she shut the door.

Bella looked around at the calming room with pale blue and green accents. The smell of flowers, herbs was refreshing and Bella smiled as they began to undress.

Edward pulled her into the large walk-in shower despite her protests and Bella could not help herself from surrendering to his advances.

The two women that arrived just after Edward had pressed the button for attention gave not indication that they had heard anything out of the ordinary as they directed Edward and Bella to lay face down on the side by side benches with the thin sheets draped over their hips.

They lay facing each other, holding hands and exchanging silly grins as the women worked. Afterwards they nibbled on fruit and exchanged kisses before their next set of treatments.

At the end of the afternoon, they had been buffed and polished and were both relaxed and fresh. Bella had given up trying to second guess Edward and wasn't surprised when they got off the elevator and saw a woman waiting at their door for them.

She introduced herself as Annie, their personal 'hairdresser'. Bella shook her head as Annie sent Bella to shower, while she washed and trimmed Edward's hair and then gave him a 'barber shave'.

Edward disappeared into their bedroom, while Annie blow-dried Bella's hair and then she applied a light covering of makeup, before she left their suite.

Bella walked into the bedroom just as Edward was about to leave it and her eyes combed over his body.

He was wearing black pants, a light blue button down and he had a jacket over two fingers.

Bella licked her lips and her fingers fiddled with the knot of her robe.

Edward's eyes darkened at the desire in hers but he only smiled and said, "Our reservation is for seven, so we have a few minutes."

Bella nodded, unable to find her voice.

Bella had felt so connected to Edward all day long and even though they had made love quickly at the spa, she was just a mass of aching need.

She stood at the closet and looked at the outfit that Alice had packed for her. It was simply marked 'Birthday dinner'.

Bella opened up the clothes bag and she pulled out a simple cream dress that hugged Bella's body to perfection and seemed to be made from chiffon or something equally soft. She was unsure of it's appropriateness until she saw the bright turquoise heels and clutch purse that went with the outfit and to finish it Alice had added a pair of dainty enamel dangling earrings that had tiny turquoise daisies at the ends of them that just made the outfit 'pop'.

Bella stood back and stared at herself. She looked like a sophisticated, worldly young woman. Bella smiled at herself, "Not too shabby, Swan." She whispered as she picked up her clutch purse and walked into the sitting room.

Edward turned and he felt his mouth open and then close.

She was perfection personified and he knew that he would never forget the way that she looked.

He swallowed nervously and patted his pocket where the ring lay in its velvet pouch.

He extended his arm and smiled, 'Ready beautiful girl?"

Bella nodded and blushed at the compliment as she put her hand through his arm.

The beautiful couple only had eyes for each other as they stepped out of the hotel and slid into the waiting cab who knew where they were headed.

=====HS=====

Edward had made a reservation at _Triomphe_, an extremely popular restaurant that would give him the privacy that he desired.

They made small talk on the way to the restaurant and although Bella knew that she should have been hungry, she just could not get rid of the feeling of anticipation in her stomach.

The hostess greeted them warmly and Bella tightened her hand on Edward's arm as she watched the woman give Edward the 'once over'.

"Doctor Cullen, your table is ready for you." The woman said as she lifted her hand and their server stepped forward.

"Good evening, my name is Stephan and I'll be your server this evening, please come this way."

Bella stifled a giggle as she felt Edward's hand tighten on the small of her back.

Edward glanced down at her with a wry smile, "Don't look so pleased with yourself missy; if _Stephan_ stares at you like that again, I will deck him!" he drawled.

Bella felt her panties moisten a little. _A jealous Edward was so fucking sexy!_

She didn't say anything but he narrowed his eyes at the way that she looked at him from under her lashes.

She looked up in surprise when Stephan walked through the main dining area and down a short hallway. He stopped at a set of double doors and opened them with a smile.

Bella and Edward stepped through the doorway and Bella frowned when she saw that they were in a small sitting room. Soft music was playing through speakers in the wall. Candles flickered on tables and Bella spotted an ice bucket with what looked like champagne on one side.

A cream loveseat sat in front of a low table that had platters of _hor d'oeuvres. _

Edward thanked Stephan quietly while Bella looked around. The room was quite small, almost like an anti-room. She noticed that there was another set of French doors on the other side of the room.

Edward wiped his hands on his pants in an uncharacteristic move as he walked over to where Stephan was opening the bottle of champagne and Edward's eyes looked over at Bella.

"So, I um, thought that we could have a little private moment, um… before," Edward felt his throat begin to clog up in panic as Bella frowned at him slightly and put her hand on his arm, "Babe, are you feeling okay?" she asked in concern.

Grow a fucking pair of balls, Cullen! Edward silently admonished himself as he stared down into Bella's soft brown eyes.

Suddenly his nerves were gone. He leaned down and gently kissed Bella's upturned mouth.

"I am fine, my Love." He said before he led her over to the loveseat and turned to meet Stephan's mocking gaze.

Asshole, Edward thought.

"Will that be all for now, Sir?" Stephan asked him with a knowing smirk.

Edward gave a curt nod, "Thank you."

Edward picked up the two flutes of champagne and handed one to Bella, "To you, my love, happy birthday."

Bella smiled, "Thank you for the best day in my life, Edward."

_I hope so_, he thought as he put his glass down and cleared his throat.

The time had come.

With a nervous smile Edward bent his leg and went down on one knee in front of Bella.

She stared at him wide-eyed and confused for a moment until her brain realized what was happening.

Edward ignored her soft gasped, 'Edward!' as he gently took her hand in his and stared into her eyes.

"Isabella Swan, I was created by the Lord himself to love and cherish you. You are my soul mate, my very best friend and my lover. You are the best part of my life and I will aspire to be the very best part of your life as long as I live. Will you do me the exceptional honor of becoming my wife?"

Bella couldn't see Edward's face as the tears ran freely down her cheeks and after a moment she felt his warm fingers gently brushing her tears away as he leaned forward on both knees and held her chin in one hand.

Her shocked eyes met his dark green gaze that seemed to warm her from the inside of her soul.

She bit her lip to stop the sob from escaping as he smiled tenderly at her and whispered, "Marry me, Isabella Marie."

Bella nodded with a watery smile, "Yes… oh God, yes, Edward, _yes_!"

Edward grinned as he slid the seven stone diamond ring onto her finger with difficulty as Bella kissed him noisily. Bella stared down at the beautiful diamond ring in wonder, "Its beautiful…" she said.

Edward smiled, "My great grandparents had a thing for the constellation '_**Cygnus'**_, you know, the swan? Well the seven stones represent the seven stars that make up the wings of the swan and it's perfect for you. I had the setting adjusted lightly to make it more 'you', but the gold and the diamonds are the same."

She was half crying, half laughing as she threw her arms around his neck and flung herself into his arms.

Edward let out a bark of laughter as they toppled to the carpet. After a moment he rolled Bella onto her back as he cradled her in his arms and his tongue parted her lips.

When they had to come up for air, they parted and took shuddering breaths as they pressed their foreheads together.

Edward let out a breathless laugh, "I love you, baby."

Bella grinned, "I love you too, but now you have to get off me, because this dress cost a fucking fortune and I want to see my ring! Let me up Cullen!" she retorted, but the next minute she let out a scream of fright as a deep familiar voice said, "Yeah, let her up Cullen before we take you outside and beat the tar out of you!"

Edward got up as Bella shot up to a sitting position and looked up at the sea of faces around them.

The Cullen family stood at the now opened sliding doors with Garrett, Peter, Tex and their wives. Everyone was grinning down at them and predictably the women seemed to all be crying while Garrett and Peter were giving Edward 'death' glares.

"What… what's going on?" Bella said as Edward sheepishly helped her to her feet.

"Aren't you glad to see us Bells?" Emmett asked with a mock pout.

"Yes, yes of course I am, but I'm so confused! How did you know? Um, did you plan this?" she looked up to find Edward rubbing the back of his neck as the tips of his ears turned pink.

"Weeeell, sort of, yes, okay, yes! Of course we all wanted to be a part of your birthday celebration, but I had already decided to propose to you, but they," he waved in the direction of the small crowd, "insisted on being here, so I modified my plan a little and – well, here we all are. Is this okay?" Edward asked her quietly.

He knew that Bella didn't like being the centre of attention, but he had hoped that she wouldn't mind making an exception this one time. Besides their wedding day, of course.

Bella let out a sigh as she looked from one person to the other. She had never felt so warm and loved before. Both of her entire families had flown out to celebrate her special day with her and Bella felt privileged and very blessed.

"Of course this is okay. It's too much, you guys, but I am so glad that you are here!"

All of a sudden Bella and Edward were surrounded by well-wishers. They were hugged and kissed, although Edward's back protested when he was thumped enthusiastically by 'The godfathers' as Emmett called Bella's Arizona family.

Carlisle hugged and kissed his son, "I'm very happy for you, son." He said.

Emmett hugged Edward hard as he laughed, "I thought you were going to turn into a little pussy there for a moment, Bro. We could hear your knees knocking in the other room!"

Everyone laughed as they accepted the flutes of champagne that Stephan and another server were passing around. When everyone held a glass in their hands, Carlisle raised up his glass,

"Happy birthday, Isabella. May the next twenty years of your life be filled only with love and happiness. May all of your dreams come true. To Bella!"

"To Bella!"

Carlisle smiled as he looked at Edward and Bella who stood inside the protective circle of his arm, admiring her engagement ring as she showed it off to Melissa and Kate.

He cleared his throat and held up his glass again, "To my youngest son and our newest daughter; we love you both and we wish you happiness and laughter forever! To Edward and Bella!"

"To Edward and Bella!"

Edward's eyes softened as Bella turned in the curve of his arm to face him. Edward reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Bella had never looked more beautiful. She was glowing with happiness and her eyes were shining brightly. They stared at each other for a moment before Bella touched his glass with hers, "To us." She whispered.

Edward smiled, "To us."

After a few minutes, Alice and Rose swept Bella away to fix her make up in the bathroom, while everyone else helped themselves to eats and drinks.

Alice made Bella sit down on the dainty stool in front of the huge mirrors while she quickly opened her own purse and she put a plethora of makeup jars and powders on the counter as Rosalie sat on the pale pink sofa.

"So Bells, did you have any idea?" Rose asked as she sipped her champagne.

Bella shook her head, "Not at all – Ow Alice! Stop pulling my hair!"

Alice glared at her in the mirror, "Stop moving! Jeez, you are worse than Brady, who is going to be mighty pissed at you by the way!"

Bella smiled, "How is my sweet boy?"

They discussed the children for a bit before Alice smiled, "Okay, you are done – I have worked my magic and you are perfect".

Bella looked up with a smile and she hugged Alice as she stood up. Her eyes caught the glitter of the ring and she stared at it in wonder until Rosalie nudged her, "Stop mooning over it, Bella, I promise it is real!" she teased.

Bella shook her head as she blushed, "I just can't believe that this has happened, I mean all of it – this trip, you all being here and then Edward asking me to marry him. It just seams like a dream, you know?"

The two older women looked at each other and smiled before Alice looked at Bella, "We know Bells. Edward loves you so much and he has been so excited about arranging today, but now come on, I think dinner awaits us."

The next few hours were spent in the private dining room, which was off the small sitting room. Everyone drank a little too much and ate the most delicious French cuisine as they enjoyed the night together.

They parted ways at the entrance to the restaurant with assurances that they would see the newly engaged couple the next day. Esme wanted to take advantage of their time in the city to do some shopping, something that all the women wanted, while the guys were going to a baseball game that Carlisle had secured tickets for.

When they climbed out of the taxi at their hotel, Edward led Bella across the street to a beautiful white horse drawn carriage that was waiting to take them on a slow ride through Central Park.

It was the perfect ending to the perfect day as far as Bella was concerned. Bella was resting her head on Edward's shoulder as he played with the ring on her finger. Bella held her hand up and stared at the ring again.

"Hey," Edward said as he nudged her gently.

"Hmm?" Bella looked up at him to see him smiling at her.

"So, um I was thinking, well actually Alice suggested it and I think that it's a great idea, you know."

Bella cocked an eyebrow at his unusual mumbling, "Spit it out, Babe, you are stalling again."

"Okay, well, what would you think about getting married in a year from today?"

Bella looked at him for a moment as her mind raced forward. In a years' time, she would have graduated and most of the work towards getting her license would have been completed.

She stared out at the park around them as she chewed her bottom lip.

"Well? You are making me nervous here love." Edward prompted.

Bella shook herself out of her daydream and smiled at him, "I think that it's a wonderful idea! Let's get married a year from today – in Hope Springs, of course!"

Edward chuckled, "As if we could ever get married anywhere else. I love you,"

Bella lifted her mouth to his as her eyes slid closed, "I love you."

_**A/N: *Squeals* FINALLY! Okay, so they are engaged! Did you love it? Hate it? This chapter just got a little long, don't you think? Although I know that most of you don't mind! I've had quite a few people asking me about A FAMILY LIKE OURS, the sequel to People like us:**_

_**The thing is that this has been a bitch of a year so far! Real life has really been demanding and I just haven't been able to concentrate on more than one story. I also don't know how much of a story there is for those characters…. So, if you have any suggestions of what you would like to read about, or story lines that you think I could explore or even if I write a series of 'one-shots' – I just don't know, but I have a bad case of writer's block for AFLO so – let me know what you think?**_

_**I also want to send each and every one of you a huge hug and smooches for embracing the story of Hope Springs. You guys are inspiring in so many ways and you have kept me grinding away on this!**_

_**Love you all so much,**_

_**Michele**_


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

HOPE SPRINGS

_**At the end of chapter 31 – **_

"_**Okay, well, what would you think about getting married in a year from today?"**_

_**Bella looked at him for a moment as her mind raced forward. In a years' time, she would have graduated and most of the work towards getting her license would have been completed. **_

_**She stared out at the park around them as she chewed her bottom lip.**_

"_**Well? You are making me nervous here love." Edward prompted.**_

_**Bella shook herself out of her daydream and smiled at him, "I think that it's a wonderful idea! Let's get married a year from today – in Hope Springs, of course!"**_

_**Edward chuckled, "As if we could ever get married anywhere else. I love you,"**_

_**Bella lifted her mouth to his as her eyes slid closed, "I love you."**_

**CHAPTER 32 – Absence makes the heart grow fonder? **

By the time that the rest of the party left early on Sunday morning, Bella wasn't sad to see them go. She loved her family but she really needed to spend some quality time with Edward.

The day before, the entire group had gone on a special sightseeing tour. Bella hobbled along, her legs and feet still smarting from the marathon, nine hour shopping trip from the day before.

The men had gone to a baseball game at Yankees Stadium, where the Yankees were playing the L A Angels. Edward had been fortunate enough to be able to organize six tickets from a former patient that he had treated.

So, while they enjoyed a day of hotdogs, warm beer and bonding, Bella lost count of how many stores they had visited and thankfully most of the stores were able to arrange for delivery to Hope Springs as everyone had clubbed together and had gifted Bella several thousands of dollars in gift vouchers for her twentieth birthday.

Esme also wanted to go wedding dress shopping, but Bella was able to convince her to restrict her to only one store and excitedly she had made a quick phone call before announcing that they were going to Kleinfeld's. Bella had no idea what was so special about the store, but just seeing the way that all of the women, including Bree squealed was enough to make Bella nervous.

On the drive to the store, Bree filled Bella in on the fact that Kleinfeld's had their own television show called, _**'Say Yes to the Dress'**_.

Kate and Melissa were scandalized that Bella didn't watch it and when they began to quiz her on whether she watched, _**'Sister Wives'**_ or _**'The Housewives of Atlanta'**_ and Bella shrugged, they asked what the hell she did with her spare time.

Esme, Alice, Rosalie and Bree laughed and answered in unison, "She studies! There is no 'spare time!'"

Bella scowled at them all from her side of the stretch limousine and stared outside. Not even ten minutes later they had pulled up outside a large store. Bella noticed that there seemed to a line of people waiting to go inside.

The driver opened the door and Bella got out feeling very self-conscious as the women in the queue turned to stare at them.

She smoothed her hands down her skinny jeans and turned around just as Esme stood next to her. Esme put an encouraging arm around her shoulders and drew her forward.

"Come on sweetheart, we have an appointment with Amanda in fifteen minutes." She said as she half pulled Bella forward.

"But… what… um…" Bella looked behind her and she caught Alice and Rosalie smirking at her.

"Just go with it Bells, Mom is quite unstoppable when her mind is made up." Alice said as Bella was whisked inside.

A tall blonde woman was standing at the reception table waiting for them.

"Mrs. Cullen?" she said in a low, smooth toned voice.

Bella felt like the country mouse in the city. She could not stop her head from swiveling from one side to the other as she took in the plush carpets, the chandeliers, and _oh my god… the dresses._

Hushed voices, giggles and laughter could be heard around her but Bella stared at what looked like a million dresses in white, cream, ivory and every shade, pattern and shape in between.

"Bella? Bella! Stop drooling darling." Esme teased her softly as she tapped Bella's chin.

Bella's mouth snapped shut as she felt her cheeks and neck grow hot.

The tall blonde didn't have one hair out of place. She seemed to be almost as perfect as all the other helpers that walked around them. Bella swallowed nervously.

She didn't belong here.

"Mom... I don't think," she stuttered but Amanda smiled at her with no hint of sarcasm or snobbishness, "Are you _Bella_?"

Bella nodded dumbly, and she felt even more miserable.

Amanda held out her hand and clasped Bella's warmly, "I'm Amanda and no matter what anyone says, sometimes when I have a moment I just stop and stare around me too." She snorted delicately and that seemed to break the spell around Bella.

"You do?" she asked hesitantly.

Amanda nodded, "Oh my gosh, yes! I come from a small town in the Midwest and I had never even seen a city until a few years ago when I won a scholarship to design school. So I understand just how you feel, hon. Come with me, ladies."

Amanda led everyone through to a private viewing room, having guessed that Bella would never be comfortable with walking through the main showroom.

The room looked like a hotel sitting room, with cream furniture and pretty side tables. A dressing room was off to one side and an alcove held several full length mirrors and a small dais to stand on.

After everyone had settled down a woman walked in and greeted Esme with a hug and a kiss, "Esme! It is so good to see you, Darling! It's been too long!"

Esme nodded, "Mara! I was hoping that you were going to be here! Come; let me introduce you to my girls!"

Esme explained that she and the owner had met many years previously and had kept in touch.

"Mara, do you remember my two beautiful daughters-in-law, Alice who is married to Jasper and Rosalie who tamed Emmett? This is my youngest child, Bree and this," Esme walked over and put her hand on Bella's shoulder, "this is the newest addition to our family. Bella, this is Mara, she is one of the owner's here. Mara this is my future daughter-in-law, Bella Swan, who got engaged on Friday to Edward. These are our dear friends Melissa and Kate, who are from Arizona."

Mara smiled at everyone warmly, "It is very wonderful to meet you all, but especially you, Bella, now let's have some tea in my office and you can tell Amanda here what you are looking for in a wedding dress."

Mara's 'office' looked like a ballroom in a French chateau. It was all dainty antique furniture with amours against the walls filled with wedding dresses, evening gowns and other finery.

Mara ushered them to the seating area just as a tea trolley was wheeled in that held a silver tea set as well as a pitcher of iced water. Delicate cakes were arranged on platters.

Amanda sat quietly quizzing Bella on what she wanted. When Bella told her that she honestly had no idea and that she had never, ever dreamed of being a bride or her wedding day, Amanda clapped her hands.

"Oh this is going to be such fun, Bella! Now, what season are you getting married in?" she asked.

Bella blushed as the conversation around them came to a halt as everyone waited for her answer.

"Well, we um, decided to get married on June thirteenth next year," she mumbled.

"Wonderful! A summer wedding! And where are you getting married? City or country? Formal or informal? Indoor or outdoor? You see, all of these things have a bearing on what you will wear but the most important thing is this: What does Bella like? What does Bella like to wear? Sexy or sweet? Tight fitting or comfy? Casual or sophisticated? " Amanda quizzed.

Bella looked over at Esme and they shared a smile as Bella told Amanda that they were getting married in their home town in Vermont.

After talking for a few minutes about Bella's likes and dislikes Amanda stood up with a decisive nod, "I have three dresses in mind for you Bella. One is a 'princess' gown, although it's not too 'over the top'; the second one is a beautiful A-line full length dress in satin and chiffon and the third is a sheath dress that will look stunning on your figure. We can look at as few or as many as you want, so are you ready to try on dresses?"

Bella felt sheer panic flutter as she swallowed noisily and nodded.

Amanda winked at her, "It won't hurt a bit, I promise! We are just going to have some fun, okay?"

Bella bit her lip but she couldn't help the smile from spreading over her face, "Okay!"

Amanda excused herself and Bella and the rest of her party said their goodbyes and made their way back to their show room.

Alice shooed Bella into the dressing room to take off her jeans, tank top and sandals and she handed Bella a large bag that she had brought with her.

"What's this?" Bella asked.

Alice smiled, "Shoes, underwear, some clips for your hair. You need to get a real idea of what the dress with look like and you can't do that wearing frilly panties and a black bra, Bells!"

Bella rolled her eyes but she reached over and hugged her friend, "Thank you, Alice." She whispered.

Alice patted her arm, "You are very welcome, 'sister'" she said as she closed the door and joined everyone else outside.

"Is she nervous?" Rosalie asked her.

Alice smiled, "I think that she is getting into the feel of things, you know. She seemed a little excited."

A few moments later Amanda walked in carrying huge garment bags.

Melissa, Alice, Bree and Rosalie let out shrieks of excitement, while Kate and Esme shared a look of quiet excitement.

Amanda let out a cheerful laugh and she stepped inside the dressing room.

Several minutes later, the door opened and Bella stepped through it.

Esme gasped as her hand flew to cover her mouth.

Bella bit her lip as she hoisted up her dress and made her way to the dais. She stepped up and with a shaky breath she looked up.

"Oh my…" she whispered as she stared at herself.

Amanda had chosen a floor length strapless ball gown that was heavily beaded on the bodice with a sweetheart neckline, a broad satin belt clinched her waist before the gown fell in an almost 'Cinderella' style to the floor. The skirt was brocaded and there were several layers but it was a gown fit for a princess.

Bella felt delicate and beautiful in the dress as she turned from one side to the other. She smiled as she watched the skirt sway to and fro almost like a bell ringing.

The thought made her smile and she looked into the mirror only to swing around as she saw that everyone was crying.

"What's wrong? Is it that horrible?" she asked.

Esme shook her head as she tried to gather herself together, "No, oh honey, no! You are breathtaking, Isabella." She said reverently.

Bella's cheeks had lost their initial pallor and pink tinged the apples of her cheeks as she smiled, "Really?"

"Oh! Bella, you are perfection in that dress!" Bella's eyes looked over at Kate as Melissa rolled her eyes and handed her friend a tissue box.

Bella stared at herself again, twirling around. She felt like a princess in the dress but there were little niggles in the back of her brain.

She was not really the 'frou-frou' type of girl. She didn't do yards and yards of fussy material that she couldn't even walk in and while she loved the dress, she wondered if it was the _right_ dress for her.

Her eyes met Amanda's and the other woman shrugged slightly and held out her hand, "Come on, Bella, there are plenty more dresses out there!"

Bella stumbled slightly as she stepped off the dais and Alice cleared her throat, "You know on second thoughts, maybe something without so much material…"

Bella could hear the quiet conversation outside as Amanda helped her to take the dress off carefully.

Bella was terrified that she would rip a dress but Amanda assured her that the dresses were made quite sturdily.

As the second gown slipped over Bella's head she felt a tingle of excitement become butterflies.

The dress was soft satin and chiffon and the material felt like a whisper against her skin. The front was gathered to one side of her waist and it was secured with a braided chiffon 'belt' and secured with a diamante clasp and then it fell effortlessly to the ground.

Bella stared at herself in the mirror before she turned to the door. While the first dress had seemed as if she was playing dress up, this dress looked as if it had been created for her.

As she stepped up onto the dais, she was met with complete silence.

She kept her eyes on the bottom of her gown and then she raised her eyes slowly over her feet up her legs to the waist and up over her torso and breasts and finally she looked at her face and she almost gasped.

_She was glowing!_

Bella turned around when she heard a noise and she turned to see all six women smiling at her through their tears.

Kate stood up slowly and walked towards her. With Bella standing on the low platform, Bella was the same height as Kate.

Kate's blue eyes were full of affection for the young woman in front of her, "Isabella, if your father were here, he would be crying as well. You look like a bride in that dress, but the best part is that you make this dress beautiful. This dress is you and as your adoptive Swan family contingent, we would all be honored if you would allow us to buy your wedding dress and accessories for you."

Bella gasped but before she refuses Melissa stood up, "Please Bella. We all loved Charlie so much and when you disappeared, well you have no idea how hard that it was for all of us – the guys mostly, and they all want to do this."

Bella tried to look at the price tag but Kate shook her head vigorously, "Oh no you don't! Now either you say yes, or else you will need to explain to six very upset men why you wouldn't allow them to do this for the man who meant so much to all of them!"

Bella opened her mouth and Kate raised her eyebrows in a silent challenge. She bit her lip, "Okay, you can pay for the dress," she said quietly.

"And accessories, which remind me, I think that there is a veil in your storage locker back in Phoenix."

Bella's eyes widened, "Really?" she asked eagerly. She hadn't realized that there may be things from her mother.

Melissa nodded with a smile, "Yes, now Amanda, ask her the question!"

Bella looked around as the women squealed again. She looked over at Amanda in confusion only to see her let out a cheerful laugh.

"Question?" she asked.

Amanda nodded, "Yes; there is a question that we ask all our clients because we believe that on your wedding day, you are the most special person in the world and wearing the perfect dress for you is part of that so then, without further ado; _Bella, is this your dress?"_

Bella looked at her reflection once more and in her mind's eye she could imagine herself walking down a petal-strewn path to meet Edward. _Her dress floated around her as Emma, Chelsea and Ang's little girl, Dale ran down the aisle in blushing pink or pale lavender dresses. Carlisle walked tall and handsome at her side and there was Edward…_

"Bella! Hey!" Bella blinked and looked up at the sea of grinning faces.

She felt the blush heat her cheeks, "I, um…"

Amanda smiled, "That's quite alright Bella, that's exactly what we are looking for here, is _this_ _the one_?"

With a nod from Melissa and Kate and a gentle smile from Esme, Bella nodded, "Yes, this is it. This is the one." She said with a quiver in her voice and an excited light in her eyes.

"_Woo hooo!"_ Rosalie let out the yell as she and Alice gave each other a high five.

Amanda phoned down to 'alterations' and they sent a seamstress upstairs to make a tucks and nips that apparently were needed, although Bella couldn't see anything wrong with the dress at all.

As Amanda helped her to take the dress off, now full of pins, Bella tried to look for the price tag, but found that it was missing.

"Amanda, how much did this dress cost?" she asked with concern.

Amanda shook her head and smiled, "Oh no, honey! I learned a long time ago to never get between a bride and her family. You are just going to have to take that up with Mrs. Stubbs and Mrs. Pace, who I might add are paying for your dress as we speak."

Bella huffed with impatience and she quickly changed back into her jeans and top before she slipped off the low white satin wedged heel shoes with a pretty peep toe, delicate ankle strap and pretty buckle detail and put her favorite Vans back on.

Once she was back outside, she had to make a date for a fitting and because the wedding was a year away, Wendy, the seamstress suggested that Bella come back in about four months for her first fitting, which Bella agreed to and she made a note that she would travel back to New York during her winter break

After that shopping experience, Bella was ready to go back to the hotel, but it seemed that the women were just getting started

Seven hours later, Bella was almost catatonic as the limo finally took her back to her hotel. Thankfully, the others were staying downtown and Bella had insisted on dropping them off first. As the car pulled away from the curb Bella let out a loud sigh and lay back on the seat.

_What a fucking day! _Bella groaned and closed her eyes, willing the flashing images away.

She had walked longer than her usual five mile run and she had seen enough clothes to last her a life time! Dresses, skirts, blouses, shirts, coats, for fuck's sakes! In one hundred degree weather! It seemed that nothing was 'out of bounds' for the six women that attacked each store like a pack of hungry, marauding wolves. Bella was astounded by their ability to spread out and _devour _each store with military precision. She was dragged one way and then another and at various times, clothes, shoes or something would be shoved into her hands and she would be given a barked order of "Try this on!"

The sad thing was that she obeyed without so much as a 'by your leave' or a 'fuck you!' No, she had just toddled along and changed into whatever had been thrust into her hands and then she would walk out of the dressing room, before one of them dragged her out.

Her appearance was usually met with a slightly disappointed sigh of, _"Vans? Really Bells? Vans – with that dress? Oh dear – you truly are your father's child! Charlie's fashion ran to old baggy jeans, tees and flannel shirts! Flannel – in Arizona! Alice, don't you have anything else in that magic purse of yours?"_

Or:

"_Oh dear, come here Bells, this goes like this… hmmm… no, no that just won't do – Rose, can you get the other one? The Eggplant colored one? Go and take that off Bella."_

And so it went on. It was only when she almost fainted that Esme noticed that she was looking decidedly pale and Bree suggested that they 'regroup' and eat some lunch.

Bella could not remember what she had eaten.

She didn't care.

She just wanted the torment to stop.

Finally, finally, after they had 'conquered' what felt like every store in a fifty mile radius, Esme told them that she would have to 'cut their shopping short' because she, Carlisle and Brianna had a dinner engagement to attend to!

Bella almost cried with relief as she limped back to the waiting limousine and the sympathetic smile of the driver. Bella snorted when his eyes widened and she sniggered as the car was loaded to capacity with boxes, bags and more bags!

_Christian Louboutin, Bloomindales, Macy's, A Testoni, Saks, FAO Schwarz, Missoni, Calypso St. Bart's – _no shop with its salt was spared and Bella knew that she would have nightmares for days about the cost of everything. Thankfully she had handed over her pile of gift cards at the beginning of the shopping torture, but even so, she knew that what she had purchased, or what had been purchased for her, would not cover all of the costs.

She sat up with a start – not once in all the many hours that they had shopped had Bella handed over her credit card!

"What the fuck?" Bella growled as she reached for her phone and punched in a familiar number.

"Rose? Who paid for all of my stuff? Because I may be a country girl, but even I know that the gift cards didn't cover all of this! Not to mention the mountain of stuff that is being shipped home!" Bella barked out.

Bella heard the hesitation in Rose's voice, "Now, Bella, don't go all mental on me – today was a gift from our husbands"

"He is not my husband yet! I have my own money! I don't need…" Bella began as she felt her blood pressure rise steadily.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and listen for a second! Honest to God woman, I wonder that Edward hasn't strangled you before now! This was something that Edward and the guys planned weeks ago! He wanted you to have some fun and spend some money and yes, it's his hard earned money and yet he still wanted you to spend it – imagine that!" Rosalie's voice was thick with sarcasm.

Bella huffed but she didn't say anything.

"Now, do you think that instead of picking a fight with your fiancée and having another dramatic argument, you can just give him a great big kiss and thank him for spoiling you and then maybe you can enjoy the wonderful evening that he has planned for you? Do you think that you can do that?"

Bella felt the anger drain away as she watched the car turn alongside Central Park.

Bella let out a soft sigh, "I'm sorry Rose. I know that I was a bitch today. You are right – this was a wonderful present from Edward. Thank you. Please don't say anything to the others?"

Rosalie let out a chuckle, "No problem Bells. Once you come out of your funk, you will realize that you have bought some fuck-awesome stuff and if you look in the bag from_ Azaleas, Journelle_ or even the _Deborah Maquit_ bag from _Barney's,_ you will find _several outfits_ that will make the doctor a very happy man, if you know what I mean?" Rosalie's voice with full of suggestion and Bella found herself glancing at the bags guiltily as her blush spread down her neck.

"Um, thanks again Rose. I'm at the hotel so I need to go but I will see you in the morning." Bella hurriedly put her phone away just as her door was opened.

"Good evening Miss Swan, I trust you had a pleasant day?"

Bella grimaced at the doorman, "Have you ever been kidnapped and forced to shop for over eight hours, Hensley?"

The man chuckled as he and the driver began to unpack the huge amount of packages onto a luggage trolley.

Bella was blushing as she followed a bellhop through the foyer to the bank of elevators.

When they reached the door Bella was pulling her key card out of her purse when the doors sprung open, and she looked up with a gasp.

Edward was a sight for sore eyes and she glanced over his white button down shirt that was open to where his low riding jeans hugged his hips and his bare feet before she licked her lips and gave a 'Bree-like' squeal before she dropped her purse and jumped into his startled arms.

"Edward!" Bella heard herself whimper as she buried her nose into his neck.

Edward chuckled as he tightened his grip on her bottom and motioned to the bellhop to put her many bags on the sofa.

Edward tipped him with difficulty and waited until the door closed before he walked over to an overstuffed armchair and sat down with Bella still clinging to him like a vine.

"Hey, sweet girl, what's going on? Are you okay?" he asked quietly as he stroked her hair with one and patted her rounded bottom with the other.

Bella shook her head quickly, "No! It was a long, long day, Edward! And I missed you so fucking much! And they wouldn't let me even call you! They are horrible!"

Edward smiled as he buried his nose into her hair that had fallen prey to the many hours of trying on clothes.

"It's okay love, I'm here now." He cooed quietly as he dropped a tender kiss behind her ear.

Bella hummed with contentment. Everything she ever wanted and needed was in her arms.

After a few quiet moments as Bella alternated between sniffing Edward's calming scent unashamedly and peppering his still damp neck with kisses she lifted her head and looked at him with large eyes and the cutest fucking pout that made his dick even harder.

Edward smiled as he brushed her unkempt strands of hair out of her eyes and he couldn't resist tilting his head to drop a kiss to her red and pouty mouth.

"Hi love."

Bella smiled once before she took a deep breath and bit her lip nervously, "I spent your money. A fuck-lot of it!" She said quickly.

Edward nodded, "I hope so! That's what today was all about, my Love. I wanted you to have some fun with the girls and celebrate our engagement. So, did you buy some nice things?" he wiggled his eyebrows in a comical way, "Did you buy some _naughty_ things?" he emphasized the word 'naughty'.

Bella giggled and blushed furiously before she shrugged at him, "I think so,"

Edward frowned. He looked at the small mountain of bags and boxes before he looked at her again, "You think so?"

Bella nodded and his eyebrows shot up, "Soooooo, these aren't yours?" he nodded towards the parcels.

Bella turned and she actually cringed before she turned back to him with a distinctly sheepish look, "I think so?" she whispered.

Edward shook his head, "Okay, my love, I can see that this is going to take a while. Why don't you go and have a shower and then get dressed so that we can leave. I have a surprise for you."

Bella groaned and she covered her mouth as her eyes grew large, "Sorry! I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and I really am grateful for everything that your done and given me this weekend and with my ring and everything but do I have to dress up?"

Bella couldn't stop herself from sounding like a whining five year old but Edward just smiled as he gripped her hips and moved her off his lap.

He stood up and cupped her cheek in his hand.

"You don't have to dress up, my darling. In fact, it's going to be warm tonight, so jeans or shorts will be fine. I've got everything else."

Bella nodded in relief and she went up on her toes to kiss his chin, "I love you Edward Cullen."

Edward captured her chin and kissed her soundly, "That is a very good thing, Mrs-soon-to-be-Cullen!"

He turned Bella around and smacked her bottom, making her jump and pout at him, "Go and shower!"

Bella actually moaned as the warm water washed the weariness from her body. She shampooed and conditioned her hair before she washed and buffed her skin until it was glowing and she felt invigorated as she turned the water steadily cooler.

Once she was out, Bella quickly blow-dried her hair with her fingers and then she gathered it up onto a loose bun, so that her neck was cool.

She looked at her clothes and quickly chose a pair of walking shorts in khaki with a white tank top and a loose asymmetrical white and khaki striped overtop. She put on her comfortable white flat sandals. She put on a touch of makeup and quickly packed a purse with a few items.

She walked into the sitting room and she saw that Edward had buttoned up his shirt and had put shoes on in her absence.

Edward smiled at her, "You look gorgeous, come on, we don't want to be late." He said with a smirk and a wink.

Bella huffed good naturedly but she allowed herself to be led downstairs and across the road to Central Park.

She frowned but didn't say anything as Edward held her hand and told her about his day with their friends and family.

After walking for a while and just as Bella was about to protest she realized that there were lots of people walking in the same direction as they were and finally they stopped and Bella gasped.

"_**Movies in the Park**_? Oh! Edward! This is amazing! I've read about this!" she exclaimed as they threaded their way through the crowds to an empty patch of grass where Edward put the basket that he had been carrying on the ground and he pulled a thick blanket from it. Once he had spread it out he motioned for Bella to sit down.

She looked around at the throng of people with a wide, excited grin. She turned to Edward but he was busy unpacking a range of plates and containers.

Bella heard her stomach growl as she looked at the array of delicatessen assortments that Edward laid out.

There were tiny meatballs, chicken wings, and short spare ribs in a sticky sauce, fresh vegetable crudités, a few delicious looking dips, and cheeses with biscuits, fresh summer fruit and tubs of thick Greek yoghurt.

Edward handed her a plate and for the next few minutes Bella hummed contentedly as she tucked in, hungry for the first time in the day and she told him about her day. Edward laughed as she described how the women had almost been on a 'feeding frenzy' in the stores but his eyes grew dark with lust as Bella teased him about exclusive lingerie stores that they had been to.

Edward had opened two bottles of water and Bella noticed a small bottle of champagne that they opened once they were eating their fruit and yogurt desert.

Bella bit her lip and looked at him from under her lashes, "I, um, I bought a dress" she whispered.

Edward looked confused, "Okay?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "Not just any dress, silly. I bought a dress – the dress, you know like my wedding dress?"

Edward's eyes widened, "Oh! Oh wow! You bought a dress?"

Bella nodded and she watched with some amusement as she saw him swallow heavily.

"A wedding dress? For our wedding?"

She nodded again.

Edward ran his hand threw his hands. He knew that it was ridiculous to feel so flustered over the fact that Bella had bought, actually bought her wedding dress, but it made everything so real. They were getting married. He was marrying Bella. She had bought a dress.

_Wow._

When he looked up Bella was looking worried and unsure and Edward wanted to kick himself for making her feel that way, so he smiled at her and nodded.

"That's great, baby! Wow! I'm just surprised that you found something that you like so quickly. Can I see it?" he asked teasingly.

Bella shook her head, "No you can't."

She was quiet for a few moments before she looked up at him again and moved closer, "So it's okay that I bought it? You didn't pay for it by the way, our Phoenix family paid for it."

Edward leaned forward and captured her lips quickly, "Bella, I don't care about the money, my love. I just want you to be happy. Are you happy?"

Bella smiled and blushed, "Very happy. You have made me the happiest woman in the world, baby."

They fed each other the rest of their meal and when they finished Edward had handed Bella several disposable wet clothes to clean her sticky fingers and mouth off just before the enormous screen flickered to life amide wild cheering from the gathered crowds.

Edward settled back with his back resting on a pillow that he propped against the basket and he pulled Bella towards him until she was sprawled out between his legs with her back resting against his chest.

Bella couldn't help but smile at the title came onto the screen and she turned to look up at Edward, only to see his crinkled smile.

"**An Affair to Remember!** Oh my, you big softy!" Bella smiled as she placed a quick kiss on the side of his mouth before she turned back to the screen.

_Ever since Bella had come to live in Hope Springs, her family and friends had taken her lack of movie education to heart. Bella had begun receiving movies, old and new to watch as part of her 'education'. While she enjoyed most of their choices, she was quick to realize that she loved the classics, a love that was shared by Esme and Alice. Rosalie was a bloodthirsty monster and she, Jasper and Emmett enjoyed watching the goriest of movies and loved to tell the rest of them about all of the blood, guts and gore, especially over dinner!_

_Carlisle and Edward shared a love of mystery and political dramas as well a 'boy' love of action movies._

_Bella was often invited to a 'chick-flick' evening, filled with romantic comedy and nail painting at either Rosie or Alice's home, while the boys got together to watch some action/adventure._

_But Bella's favorite time was spent lying on the sofa or in bed with Edward as they watched old movies together – which usually led to other things…_

Bella wiggled back against Edward and she heard his muffled curse.

"Sorry," she giggled, not really feeling sorry at all.

Edward pinched her stomach where his hand was gently stroking the soft skin, "Minx, you are not sorry, but you will be, missy!"

Bella laughed and immediately blushed as a few heads turned towards them.

After the movie, they walked back to the hotel hand in hand.

"Are you tired?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded, "Have you ever been shopping with your mother and sisters? Oh, and don't forget the other two!"

Edward smiled, "How about we have a soak in the hot tub?"

Bella sighed, "Oh that sounds heavenly!"

Bella quickly shed her clothes as she heard the water begin to fill the tub. A wonderfully soothing aroma of mint, geranium, eucalyptus filled the air and Bella hurriedly fetched two bottles of water before she walked into the bathroom.

Her eyes widened at the sight that greeted her. Edward had turned the lights off and had lit several scented candles. He was standing staring into the tub and he was naked.

The soft light danced off the plains of his broad back. Bella could see his tattoo in stark contrast to his pale skin. His fingers ran through his wild hair and Bella watched as the muscles on his arm, neck and back flexed and rippled with the movement.

She must have whimpered out loud because Edward turned at that moment.

They stared at each other with raw lust as each took in the other's obvious state of arousal.

Bella heard the plastic bottles hit the floor just as Edward cursed softly and crossed the room in a flash.

Suddenly Bella's back was pressed against the cool tiles of the wall as Edward held her up and pulled one of her legs over his hip.

Bella was quick to catch on and she lifted her other leg to wind around him so that her wet core was pressed against his soft neatly trimmed pubic hair.

"Fuck, Isabella, you make me crazy! I need to be inside your sweet heat, baby."

Bella pulled at his hair as she whimpered again and felt a rush of her juices coat his pelvis.

"Oh God, Edward! Don't make me wait! Please!"

Edward pressed her against the wall as one hand snaked between them and he slipped one and then two fingers between her swollen outer lips.

"You are always so ready for me?"

"Fuck me Edward!" Bella almost growled.

Edward's eyes looked black in the dim light as he braced her before plunging deep inside her.

They both shouted at the overwhelming sensation of the feelings that their joining aroused.

"Oh. My. God. Edward… _harder_!" Bella panted as Edward showed no signs of letting up on the furious pace that he set.

He growled and pulled out of her only to swing her around as he barked out, "Push your ass out! Now!"

Bella pushed herself against him but Edward surprised her as he smacked her naked cheek and pulled her roughly towards his dripping cock.

Bella stiffened her arms against the wall just as Edward rammed himself inside her again.

"Bella!" he shouted as he roughly used Bella's shoulder to pull her backwards even as she bucked forwards to meet his eager thrusts.

Just as Bella felt herself spiraling out of control Edward bit down on her shoulder and with a scream Bella felt her pussy pulsate as she squirted over his thickness.

Edward felt his cum shoot deep into Bella's womb and he thought of them creating a life together and for a moment he could see it all but then Bella pulsed around him as he felt her muscles tighten as a gush of liquid ran out of her.

Edward rested his head between Bella's shoulder blades for long minutes before his legs were strong enough to support him and he pushed away from Bella before he turned her into his arms.

Bella let out a shaky breath as she stared up at him. Her hair had long since fallen from its pins and had fallen in wild disarray around her shoulders. Her lips were swollen and as Edward watched Bella did that nervous thing, where she licked her bottom lip before she bit it.

Edward reached out and put a large hand between her breasts where he could feel her heart beating like a wild little bird.

"I love you more than life itself." He said and he felt his eyes prick with sudden emotion.

Bella reached up and cupped his cheek in her palm and just the mere touch from her, calmed him.

"As I love you. This is real. This is us, forever, Edward."

After another slow and sensual kiss they sank into the tub and Edward turned the water jets on.

Bella let out a loud moan which made Edward laugh before he glared around the tub, "We are definitely getting one of these if this is the way you react!"

They spoke quietly about their day and Edward said that he would come back to the city with Bella in December or early January because he would look for a suit at the same time. They spoke about their plans for the summer and Edward was pleased that Bella had become quite excited to discover what 'treasures' her father and mother had left for her in Phoenix.

They modified their plans slightly so that Bella could fly to Santa Barbara with Edward towards the end of the month because Brandon and Megan Hale as well as the rest of the staff at the Clinic wanted to have a small get-together to celebrate their engagement. Bella had become really fond of the Hale's as well as Eli Brown, the doctor that Edward stood in for, Babs, Eli's pretty, plump wife as their two daughters, Becky and Alissa, and she was pleased that she was not going to miss seeing them this year.

They also spoke about their wedding as they lay in bed after another round of slow, tender lovemaking. Their low voices broke the quiet night.

"Are you sure that you want to have the reception in the meadow behind the main house?" Edward asked as he ran his fingers through Bella's freshly washed and dried hair.

Bella hummed as she smiled at him, "That feels so good… hmmm, yes, I think that it suites 'us' you know? I mean, I really don't care who is there besides our family and friends but we will probably have to invite the whole damn town anyway and then there are our friends from the clinic, and of course the 'Arizona' contingent, as well as Kebi, Amun and their family and other business associates and family friends that your parents want to invite, so we could have over four or five hundred people all in all! Fuck! That's a lot of people!" Bella sat up, in a sudden panic, completely unmindful of the fact that she was naked and her breasts were bouncing up and down invitingly.

Edward reached out and traced a pretty puckered nipple with his finger but pouted when Bella swatted his hand away with impatience.

"Concentrate, Edward! Five. Hundred. People! How are we going to feed them? What are we going to do? What if it rains? What if…"

The rest of her words were cut short as Edward suddenly flipped her onto her back and kissed her soundly, swallowing her protests until she was pliant in his arms once more.

When he lifted his head, Bella was staring up at him with a dazed look on her face.

"Wow…"

Edward smirked and gave himself a mental fist pump – _fuck, yeah, he was just that good!_

"Now, my sweet little worrywart, this is exactly one of the reasons that I waited so long to propose to you. You are not to worry about our wedding – _at all_, do you understand me?" he said sternly and he waited until Bella nodded before he continued.

"When we get home at the end of summer, you and I will sit down with the folks and the rest of the family and we will tell them what _we_ want for our wedding – wait, let me finish," he said as she opened her mouth.

Bella snapped it shut and pouted but she let him finish talking, "Good baby; like I was saying, we will tell them what we want and then you are going to release everything into the wonderful and eager hands of Mom, Alice, Rosalie and whoever else you want involved. The only thing that you will have to do is: choose our wedding party. Everything else is up for discussion. Nothing has to be decided right now or even this year! We have twelve months to made decisions, love. You worry about school and finishing before we get married – that is your main priority."

Bella stared at him for a long moment before she reached out and tenderly stroked his cheek, "How did I get so lucky?" she said quietly.

Edward smiled her favorite crooked smile, "We were both lucky, I guess, or else there really is such a thing as soul mates, because I have to tell you, Bella Swan-Cullen, you are my soul mate."

They came together again and each thrust, kiss, caress and touch seemed to pull them closer together until neither could tell where one ended and the other began. Edward felt tears leak from his eyes as Bella rose above him. Her one hand held onto his arm as leverage while her other hand caressed where they were joined. Her eyes shone like onyxes. She was the most breathtaking sight that Edward had ever seen and he knew that he would always remember this moment. She was exquisite in her womanly glory as she rode his hips, driving them to completion.

Time was forgotten as they expressed their love and desire. Dawn was beginning to break when they finally drifted into a sated slumber.

Only Emmett commented the next day as the group toured around the city on the fact that both Edward and Bella seemed 'unusually tired'. Bella blushed and Edward scowled while the rest of their family sniggered and exchanged knowing looks.

=====HS=====

The rest of Edward and Bella's holiday seemed to fly by and soon they were back in Hope Springs. Carlisle had been kind enough to step in as the temporary 'locum' while Edward was away and he was looking forward to Edward going to California and Arizona for three weeks.

The happy couple was stopped all over town as everyone took an interest in the newly engaged couple.

The visit with the Hales went by quickly and before she knew it, Bella was hugging Edward goodbye as he promised her that he was 'just a phone call away'.

Bella was met at the airport by Garrett and Kate. They had insisted on having her stay with them and Edward was pleased that she had accepted their offer because he knew that Bella would be safe.

Although he knew that Bella's abusers were behind bars, he still felt uneasy about her being in the same city or state as the Rawlings.

After Bella unpacked her suitcase she dialed Edward's number.

"Hey Love! Did everything go okay?"

Bella smiled as she listened to his voice. Just hearing him made her feel better.

"Everything is fine. Garrett and Kate have let me use their son, Junior's room, because he is away at some camp until after the fourth of July. How has your day been so far?"

After chatting for a few minutes, Bella sighed sadly, "I'd better go, babe. I should see if Katy needs some help."

They said goodbye and Bella quickly sent Esme a text to say that she had arrived safely. After that she took a quick cool shower and put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts before she padded out to the kitchen where Kate was slicing vegetables.

Kate looked up with a smile and Bella was struck at how young she looked with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail that flicked over her shoulders as she moved around.

"Hey Bells, come and sit down. I'm running the air con at full blast in here, because it is a whopper today!" Kate said as she pulled a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge.

Bella watched in confusion as Kate took two glasses out of the freezer, "You freeze your glasses?"

Kate nodded, "This was a little trick that my grandma has back home in Florence."

Bella's brow wrinkled, "Florence, um, _Italy_?"

Kate let out a laugh as she sliced wedges of lime and popped them into each glass that she had filled with ice before she poured the sweet-smelling liquid.

"Goodness no! Florence, South Carolina, that's where I was born and raised – I'm a southern belle at heart."

"Wow, how did I not know this? I just thought that you have always been an Arizonian."

Kate shook her head, "No ma'am! I'm a true southern belle. I even have the Cotillion photos and white gloves to prove it!" When she saw Bella's confused expression she leaned over and patted her knee and explained, "My 'coming out ball'. My family is blue-blood southern royalty and so when I met a young, handsome man from Pasadena, my parents almost had a stroke! There were some stormy years and then Garrett was accepted into the Phoenix Police Department after college and the rest is history. I made peace with my parents and we got married."

Kate excused herself for a moment before she came back with a photograph album and a sad smile, "Charlie had a lot to do with the fact that my family came back into our lives."

"Really?"

"Yep, he was the one that called my father one night when I got drunk out of my skull and nearly wrapped my car around a tree. It was my parents' twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and they were having a huge party and one of my sisters let it slip that there was this huge barbeque and party and I hadn't been invited. Garrett was on duty and so I went out drinking – on my own." Kate pressed her fingers against her eyes and sniffed before she turned to look at Bella with a watery smile.

"I was twenty, pissed off and terrified. My parents had disowned me and if it wasn't for my trust fund, I would have had to drop out of college. I was lonely and young and so stupid." She shook her head.

Bella frowned as she put her hand over Kate's.

"Anyway, it was raining hard that night and I took a corner too fast and slid across the road. Thank God there were no other cars around! I ended up going through a fence. The homeowner was a lovely older man, who called Charlie."

Kate took a sip of tea and carried on talking, "Charlie was just going off duty and yet he made a phone call to your sitter and came to fetch me. He didn't even know me very well, but he took me home and while he tucked you into your crib, he made me take a cold shower, fed me a vat of black coffee until I puked my guts out and let me cry on his shoulder."

Kate laughed softly at the memory, "I was not a pretty sight, but your dad was wonderful. He just sat and listened to me and when I was finished talking and crying, he looked at me and said with a sad smile, _**'Don't waste your life on what wasn't, Katy. Look forward to what will be and what can be. Don't you want your children to know their grandparents? Would you really deny your parents the chance to know their grandbabies?'**_. He made me feel like shit, because we knew that you only had him. Both sets of grandparents were dead and it was just you and Charlie."

Bella felt surprised when a stray tear splashed onto her hand. She hadn't even realized that she was crying.

"So, um, so what did you do next?"

"The next morning, Charlie made me sit down and phone home. I was so scared."

Bella smiled, she knew how that felt.

"Anyway, my hand was shaking so hard that when my father picked up the phone I dropped the receiver. Charlie just picked it up and calmly introduced himself. He sent me to take you for a walk and when I came back, he smiled and stroked his mustache and told me that my parents were expecting my call."

The two women sat quietly, each lost in their own thoughts and Bella felt an ache in her heart for not knowing the man that seemed to have meant so much to so many people.

Kate cleared her throat, "Okay, so here are the wedding pictures. We got married in Carolina and don't laugh at the clothes or the hair!"

Bella didn't even try to hide her amusement at the very 'southern' feel of the photographs. Garrett looked young and handsome and so very in love with the young woman by his side. Bella laughed at the photos of Garrett with Peter, Tex, Torres, Bruno, Mickey and –

Bella trembling finger traced an image of a man who was smiling broadly. A little girl with hair the same color as the man was stretched across the front of them in a pretty blue dress.

Kate leaned over and nodded, "Yes, that you and Charlie, Bells. You must have been around two or so. God, you were so darn cute! Turn the page, there are more."

For the next hour Bella and Kate pored over various photograph albums. Bella was surprised to see that she and her father were in so many photos, but Kate quickly explained that most of the gang got together at least once a week.

Bella looked at weddings and christenings, birthdays and holidays, until she came to photos of her fourth birthday party.

In one picture, Charlie was standing at the barbeque with a can of 'vitamin R' in his hand, which Kate told her was his favorite beer. Tex stood next to him and Bella was standing against Charlie's leg, pouting with her arms folded.

"What was I so pissed about?" Bella asked.

"I had bought a dress for you to wear and ribbons for your hair but you were determined to wear that blasted 'Mariners' shirt and shorts! You were such a tomboy, and Charlie could not have been a prouder daddy."

A last picture made the tears that were not far away spill over. Someone had taken a photo of her and Charlie lying in Garrett's hammock. Charlie lay on his back and Bella lay on his chest. Obviously at some time during the party, she had discarded her clothing and it looked as though she was wearing a bathing costume. Charlie's arms were wrapped around her and Bella's head was turned to the side. They were both asleep.

"He loved you so much, Bella-Bee; you hung the moon and the stars for that man and he was not ashamed to tell you that every day." Kate said as she handed Bella a tissue.

After that Kate put the books away and lightened the mood by asking Bella to help her with dinner.

Unsurprisingly they were having 'texmex' that night and so the women spent the next while chatting as Bella chopped vegetables and then Kate taught her how to make tortillas.

"Hey Kiki? Did Charlie ever take me to New York City? I know it seems crazy but I had the strangest feeling when we were there that I had seen that same view of Central Park before and I could almost hear him talking to me – is that nuts?"

Kate's hands stilled and she looked up at Bella in shock, "Oh my God! Of course! He did take you to New York, Bells!" she scrunched up her nose in thought, "It must have been the year before he died – so you were maybe three and a half or so. He was collecting some award and he insisted on taking you with him! You were only gone for a few days but you both seemed to have a great time. Of course your dad spoilt you rotten."

Bella felt a warm feeling in her chest, "So, I haven't forgotten him completely then." She mumbled more to herself than to Kate and then she went back to slicing vegetables.

"How many of us are there for dinner? This is a shitload of food!" Bella exclaimed as Kate began to throw the two pounds of onions that she had chopped into an enormous cast iron skillet.

Kate laughed, "Well, it's only us three and then Peter and Melissa and Tex and Sara – no kids tonight, thank heavens, we are making this a kid free zone tonight!"

Although Bella had only met Sara on a few occasions, she loved the tiny woman who had tamed the giant of a man. Sara was of Korean descent, with a Korean mother and an American father. She was just over five feet tall and Tex said that it was easier to pick her up sometimes than to wait for her to try and catch up with him. Sara was also an assistant district attorney that apparently was feared by many.

They decided to set the table outside and Garrett came home shortly after the women had sat down with a glass of icy sparkling sangria under the shade of the trees in the backyard.

He kissed Kate and walked around to kiss Bella's forehead as he smirked at them, "So have you both been chilling today?"

Bella gaped before she realized that he was teasing them, "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up buddy, but you and your boys are on clean up duty tonight!" Kate said with a satisfied grin as Garrett pouted.

"I'm going to shower before Tex 'n Pete get here. Don't let them in the pool if they are sweaty!" he called over his shoulder as he took the steps onto the deck quickly.

He was already pulling his shirt over his head.

Bella realized that he was in good shape for a man in his forties.

Beside her Kate let out a dramatic sigh, "Damn, he's got such a fine ass…"

Bella turned to her in shock before she burst out laughing, "Kate, are you _jonesing _over your husband?"

Kate had the grace to look bashful for a second before her blue eyes twinkled with mischief, "You know, I think that I was!"

The two women giggled.

Garrett let the other two couples in just after he had come out of the shower.

Tex was almost hopping with anticipation, "Is she here? Is she?"

Garrett rolled his eyes as he kissed Sara on her cheek, "I don't know how you put up with him!"

Sara laughed, "I don't know either, so I suppose that it must be love!"

Just as Tex was about to ask his question again, they all heard Bella and Kate laughing and then Tex was taking off towards the back of the house. He moved surprisingly fast for such a large man.

Peter shook his head, "We had better go and save her before he hugs her to death."

When they got outside, they saw that Tex was sitting with his feet in the swimming pool as he chatted animatedly to Bella. He was not usually a very talkative person, so it was surprising to hear his deep baritone voice or his rumble of laughter.

Bella stood up and greeted Peter, Melissa and Sara. Garrett brought out beers for the guys, while the women settled on the sangria.

Soon the meal had been completed and all the components for the tortillas were put out as well as the chicken salad, the pot of chili and the other side dishes so that each person could help themselves.

Bella could see that they had done this many times before because they moved around each other with ease as they dished up and chatted.

Bella took a small helping of everything before she carefully carried her plate outside. Once everyone was seated, Garrett said a blessing before they began to tuck in.

"Oh Bella! Is that your ring?" Sara's voice cut across the conversations.

Bella looked up and smiled as she blushed and held out her left hand.

"It is so pretty, and it's really modern looking – I thought Kate said that it's an heirloom or something?"

Bella nodded, "It is, Edward had it reworked a little but the setting and diamonds are the same, it's just that he had the settings for the diamonds rounded a little."

The rest of the night went by with pleasant speed as Bella began to feel more at home with her father's good friends.

As they were leaving, Tex pulled her aside for a moment to check that they were meeting at the storage container in a few days time.

Bella was coming to realize that just like her family back home; the 'Phoenix' side of her family also seemed to make a celebration out of the smallest occasions. Garrett was going to give Bella a lift to the unit and she asked for a couple of hours to be alone with her past before Tex was fetching her and then they were going to a local sports field where the entire gang, including children were going to be for their annual Independence Day barbeque and celebrations before they all watched the fireworks together.

=====HS=====

There was a light tap on the bedroom door which roused Bella from where she had been sitting at Junior's desk, staring out the window.

"Bells?"

Bella smiled at Garrett's quiet voice. He was one of the gentlest souls that she had ever met and she could see why Charlie had remained close friends with him. He was a big brother, friend and protector all rolled into one person. He was easy to love and that was evident by the way that all of their friends seemed to seek him out.

Bella opened the door and smiled up at Garrett, "Morning, I'm ready."

Garrett cast an assessing eye over Bella as they drove through the quiet morning. Although it was a holiday, the streets were still quite busy with people rushing around to do last minute preparations.

Bella had surprised him in the last few days. In the months that he had come to know her, Garrett had always sensed wariness about her. Even when she was engaging with people, there was something that was held back, as if she was reluctant to be too open with people.

It was only with Edward and most of the Cullen's that Bella seemed to be completely at ease and although it had hurt at the time, Kate had been quick to reassure him that Bella's past had made her suspicious of strangers.

But from the moment that Bella had landed in Phoenix, Garrett had seen a new found self confidence and a peacefulness about her that wasn't manufactured or contrived. The tough defensive wall that she had built around herself was not in evidence and after speaking to Katy; Garrett had realized that little Bella Swan was finally coming into her own.

Her intelligence and quick wit were refreshing and coupled with her warm smile and ready laughter, Garrett saw that she was like a new person.

"So, Bells, how's that fiancé of yours?"

He noticed the tender smile that broke on Bella's lips whenever Edward's name was mentioned and he resisted the urge to role his eyes.

_Young love._

"He's doing fine. He loves the time that he donates back to the clinic and he often says that it's more therapeutic for him than anything else. I think it grounds him, you know? It helps him to remember how far he has come."

Edward didn't advertise his past but when Garrett had enquired about his devotion to the clinic, Edward had given him the abridged version of his past and Garrett respected the fact that he was so open about it.

Just then they pulled up to the storage company and Garrett signed them in before he drove them down the rows of units before he stopped in front of one.

He noticed that Bella was fidgeting with the key nervously and he gently put his hand over hers, "You don't have to do this right now, Bells. We understand completely. This is a huge step to take."

Bella shook her head; "I don't want to put this off any longer, Garrett. I'm ready."

Garrett didn't press her any further and so he helped her to open the door to the unit and stood back.

Bella stood quietly in the opening and stared at what was, essentially, her heritage.

There were a few pieces of furniture, and then there were about ten boxes that Bella could see had been labeled neatly.

Garrett cleared his throat and when Bella turned around he held out the flask of coffee that Katy had prepared and the container of cookies.

"Katy thought that you would like to have something to drink and nibble on."

Bella smiled her thanks.

"Okay – well, I'm going to go. Do you have your phone?"

Bella nodded.

"Okay then," Garrett reminded Bella of Edward in that moment as he dragged his hand though his short hair before he rubbed his neck.

"Um, just don't push yourself too much, Bella. This," he motioned to the boxes around them, "this is quite overwhelming, so don't feel that you have to sort everything out today. Tomorrow is another day, okay?"

Bella could see how concerned he was and in a show of uncharacteristic boldness, she walked over and hugged him around his waist. Garrett immediately returned her hug. He looked across at Charlie's old TV chair and felt his eyes burn.

_This should be you holding your little girl, Charlie. Damnit! Why did you have to be such a fucking hero? Why didn't you think of her – of us?_

Garrett cleared his throat as he kissed the top of Bella's head, "You okay, kid?"

Bella nodded as she quickly wiped her eyes and stepped away, "Yeah," she let out a small laugh, "you'd better get a move on and I will see you later."

Bella pulled out a small carpet cutter that Kate had given her and she moved to take the plastic off the rocking chair in the corner as Garrett walked towards his car. When he saw what she was doing he smiled.

"Hey Bella?"

"Yeah?"

He nodded at the richly colored wooden chair, "Your dad made that chair for your mom when she was pregnant with you. That chair was in your bedroom and you and Charlie used to cuddle up in it every night where he would read you a bedtime story – even if he got home at midnight. He would just scoop you out of bed and hold you on his lap as he read to you."

This time Garrett could not stop the tears from leaking out of his eyes, nor did he try to.

Bella smiled at him tenderly before she ran a hand up the polished wood. She looked back at him and nodded, "Thank you Garrett. Charlie and I were lucky to have you all as friends. Other people wouldn't have thought to put this away for me – so thank you."

Garrett smiled and got into his car and he drove away.

He looked up into his rearview mirror and saw Bella curl up in the rocking chair as she hugged her knees under her chin. He couldn't tell but it looked as if she was smiling to herself.

As the sound of Garrett's car disappeared Bella sat up and stared around her. There wasn't much but she knew that the boxes would hold the key to her past and with determination, she got up and slit the first box open.

It was time to meet Charlie and Renee Swan.

_**A/N: I hope that you liked this chapter.**_

_**Talk soon,**_

_**Love Michele**_


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

_**This story is rated M for a reason – you have been warned! There may be scenes of drug use, abuse, physical and sexual.**_

HOPE SPRINGS

_**At the end of chapter 32 – **_

_**He nodded at the richly colored wooden chair, "Your dad made that chair for your mom when she was pregnant with you. That chair was in your bedroom and you and Charlie used to cuddle up in it every night where he would read you a bedtime story – even if he got home at midnight. He would just scoop you out of bed and hold you on his lap as he read to you."**_

_**This time Garrett could not stop the tears from leaking out of his eyes, nor did he try to.**_

_**Bella smiled at him tenderly before she ran a hand up the polished wood. She looked back at him and nodded, "Thank you Garrett. Charlie and I were lucky to have you all as friends. Other people wouldn't have thought to put this away for me – so thank you."**_

_**Garrett smiled and got into his car and he drove away.**_

_**He looked up into his rearview mirror and saw Bella curl up in the rocking chair as she hugged her knees under her chin. He couldn't tell but it looked as if she was smiling to herself.**_

_**As the sound of Garrett's car disappeared Bella sat up and stared around her. There wasn't much but she knew that the boxes would hold the key to her past and with determination, she got up and slit the first box open.**_

_**It was time to meet Charlie and Renee Swan.**_

**CHAPTER 33 – Making plans **

Bella snapped the lid closed on her luggage with a huff. She could not wait until she was finished with school and she moved home for good, she thought with a sad look around her bedroom.

The bag that she had packed were much less than she normally packed for college, but she was only going for a week of classes and then she would be taking up her position as student teacher of Mrs. Grady's grade one class at Hope Springs Elementary.

After that she would only be going back to Johnson College infrequently to hand in her assignments, meet with her Student Advisor and submit her portfolio to the Vermont Education Board for review in Montpelier.

She was excited and nervous about the upcoming months with school and her wedding coming up.

She and Edward were meeting the rest of the gang at Alistair's pub the crazy activity that always happened at this time of year.

It was the Labor Day weekend and as always, their small town was overrun with visitors from the city. They had a full weekend ahead with an 'end of summer' sidewalk craft fair the next day, being Saturday and then on Sunday after church there would be the usual Hope Springs Town Labor Day Community Picnic that would be held on Dawson's Common.

Edward and Bella had a called a 'family meeting' for the next afternoon to discuss their wedding plans and Bella was a little nervous of how that meeting was going to turn out. She really didn't want too much of a fuss, but at the same time, she wanted everyone to join them to celebrate their happy occasion.

She had done some research online and already the costs of the wedding were making her head spin! She knew that the bride's family was supposed to pay for the wedding, while the groom took care of the alcohol, transport and honeymoon.

Just looking at some of the stuff that people had on their wedding day ran into tens of thousands of dollars and Bella broke out in a sweat every time that she thought of parting with twenty or thirty thousand dollars!

Bella couldn't believe that it was the end of summer already. The week before, Edward had spent the day holding her in his arms as she once again mourned the loss of her unborn child.

She could not believe that two years had passed since that fateful night that she had lost the baby and she also couldn't stop herself from wondering what if…

With a quick shake of her head, Bella cast another quick look around before she walked into the living room.

Edward was sprawled out on the sofa with a book on his chest and his black framed glasses perched at the end of his nose.

Bella felt the familiar tug as she stared at him.

He was so gorgeous and the fact that he was her fiancé still stunned her. She looked around her small apartment and smiled as she gazed at the end table with the collection of photographs on it.

There were old pictures of her parents, one that was taken on their wedding day and one when Renee was pregnant with her. There were other photographs, some of which meant nothing to Bella and she realized that they must have been photographs of her parents' families. But she loved the ones that told the story of the young Swan family.

Photos of Charlie and Renee when they had probably first met; their wedding day; a picture of Renee pregnant with Bella; a couple of Bella as a newborn baby. There was another picture that was one of her favorites, and that was of a fat baby Bella, lying on her father's chest as they lay sleeping on a sofa. Renee was curled up next to them with one hand on Bella's rounded bottom and the other tucked possessively on Charlie's arm.

In every photograph Charlie and Renee Swan looked happy and very much in love and it warmed Bella's heart to know that she was born out of a loving union between her parents.

Kate had helped Bella to make a large scrapbook of most of the photographs while others were framed in beautiful picture frames of all shapes and sizes and collecting unusual or old frames had become something of a hobby for Bella. She loved being surrounded of pictures of her past, her present and her future.

They looked like such a happy little family.

Bella had found a wealth of her family history in the boxes in Arizona. There were letters that her parents had written to each other when they were in college. Bella was thrilled to discover that her mother had been an elementary teacher as well. There were cards that celebrated her birth, and then there were the sympathy cards when Renee had passed away. She had also discovered that her mother had kept journals. There were seven journals in total, which made up for about eight years of her mother's life from the ages of thirteen from when she had been gifted the first journal from her mother to the age of twenty-one, just before she had given birth to Bella.

Bella had begun reading the first journal while she was still in Phoenix and by the end of the second book, which finished just as her mom had turned fifteen, Bella felt as if she knew the spontaneous, dramatic and slightly flighty teenager quite well.

Bella had found her mother's bridal veil wrapped in tissue paper and she had decided that she would use it on her own wedding day. She looked at the other photographs, there was a few of Charlie and herself and others taken at barbeques with their 'Arizona' family and several of just her and Charlie.

There were newer pictures of her and Edward with his family that had been taken over the past two years as well.

Bella looked over at Edward, only to find him staring at her.

"Hi handsome" she said with a smile.

Edward smiled at her and pushed his glasses on top of his head as he rubbed his hands over his face. He held one hand out to her, beckoning her to sit next to him.

"Hey love, was I asleep for a long time?"

Bella smiled as she sat down as she gently removed his glasses and ran her hand through his wild hair.

Edward closed his eyes and hummed as her short nails scratched lazily along his scalp.

"You slept for about two hours. I thought that you would have been out cold for longer, what with you being up half the night paying house calls to half the village." Bella said quietly.

The end of summer had heralded in an alarmingly persistent and nasty influenza virus, that had Edward and Ned rushed off their feet. Carlisle had even come out of retirement temporarily to assist with the high number of patients that were in and out of their offices.

Bella leaned over and kissed the side of Edward's mouth, "Are you hungry?"

Edward sighed and stretched, "Hmm, not really, but I should eat something." He sat up as Bella stood up and walked over to her kitchenette.

"I may have made a Hunter's Stew and Brady Fuller sent over a new 'immune boosting' juice that he has created. I think you need to get a bit of a boost to make sure that you don't get ill."

Edward chuckled tiredly, "Let's hope that Brady's new concoction is drinkable! Remember his last attempt – that was disgusting! And you know that I don't get sick, love, I'm a doctor, remember?"

Bella turned around and she felt her mouth drop open. Edward had pulled his shirt off and the fly buttons on his jeans were open, giving Bella a peek at the grey briefs underneath.

Bella licked her lip but felt her self blush when she heard Edward clear his throat. When she looked up at his face, he was grinning lazily at her as he ran a hand across his flat stomach.

"See something you like, Miss Swan?"

Bella's eyes narrowed, "It's not nice to tease, Doctor Cullen!" she admonished.

Edward just smiled at her and winked, "Whose teasing?" he quipped before he walked into the bathroom.

Seconds later Bella heard the shower being turned on and she reluctantly turned back to the stove.

They really didn't have time to fool around because they had their first meeting with Pastor Craig and Betty for their first pre marriage counseling session.

They chatted while they ate before they headed over to the minister's rambling house that stood next to the church.

Craig ushered them inside the formal sitting room just as Betty brought in a tray laden with a tea service and a mouthwatering vanilla and fresh raspberry Victorian sponge cake.

After they had all served themselves, Craig pulled out two bound books which he handed over to Edward and Bella.

Edward's eyes shot up, "What's this?"

Craig smirked, "That's yours and Bella's workbooks. Now we are going to meet each week for the next twelve weeks and although you have a heavy school schedule, Bella, we expect you both to find the time to connect with each one another to talk over the week's lessons and also go over the homework that you are going to be required to do each week."

Edward opened his mouth but Craig just held up his hand, "This is not a requirement of our church, but Betty and I have made it a requirement to marry each couple in our church. This is not about one day out of your lives; this is about your lives and if you want to stay happily married to each other you are going to need to understand that marriage takes commitment and hard work. Now I need to ask each of you this question and I would like you to give it careful consideration before you answer me. Are you prepared to diligently do the work not only on this course, but with each other?"

Bella looked over at Edward. His eyes were shining brightly and Bella could see the love just pouring out of them as he looked at her. She felt her cheeks heat up as she turned back to face Craig and Betty.

"I am one hundred percent committed to this course and go to an even deeper level in Edward's and my relationship. There is nothing that I want more than to spend the rest of my life as his wife." Bella said with conviction.

"Edward?"

"I'm excited to see where this course takes Bella and I. There are a lot of differences between us that is obvious but I think that our family values and our commitment to each other is the same."

Craig and Bella shared a smile before Craig handed each of them a pen, "Okay, with that being said, I would like you each to take the time to flip over to the loose sheet inside your workbooks. Now you will see that this page holds the declaration that I asked you both to email to me before hand. I would like you to turn and face each other and recite those words to one another before you each sign and date the bottom of the page."

Bella turned to the page and began to read the short statement as she felt her eyes moisten with emotion.

"Bella? Would you like to go first?" Betty asked quietly.

Bella nodded and with a deep, calming breath she looked into Edward's eyes.

"_**Edward; I am not perfect and I will no doubt make mistakes over the next twelve weeks and I do not make excuses for this. All I promise is that I am completely committed to this betrothal process that I have begun with you today. Please be patient and kind in your thoughts and comments as we move along. In those times that we are angry or frustrated with each other, I promise that I will be forgiving and gracious and I ask the same from you. All my love and honor, Isabella."**_

Edward leaned forward and gently wiped the tears that had fallen without her knowledge off her cheeks before he pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss.

Craig cleared his throat and Edward sat back slightly, although he kept on hand on Bella's cheek.

"_**Isabella; I am excited to be your husband one day soon but I worry because I know that I will disappoint you and I will let you down at some point and more than just once. In those times all that I ask is that you remember that I love you. I am not perfect, my love. I am just a man who loves you and is excited to spend the rest of my life learning everything about you. I am totally committed to working through the next twelve weeks with an open mind and an open heart. Yours forever, Edward."**_

This time Bella didn't try and hide her tears as she leaned forward and kissed Edward.

After a moment they sat back and turned to the pastoral couple only to see Craig gently wiping Betty's wet cheeks with his handkerchief.

Craig chuckled as he took his wife's hand in his, "Well, you two certainly know how to write love letters! You are going to ace that chapter!"

They all laughed and then Craig and Betty began their lesson in earnest.

Two hours later they were saying goodbye after they had made arrangements to meet the following week.

They headed back to Bella's apartment and rounded up the dogs that had spent the afternoon frolicking in the Cullen's back yard.

Once they were fed and had fresh water, Edward and Bella headed down to the bar.

Alistair waved them through to the outdoor area at the back where they were surprised to see that most of their friends and the children were there.

Jacob and Nessie had brought their two children, Billy and Sue sat across from them rocking their little girl, while Angela, Eric and their two children sat at the same table as Emmett, Rosalie and their two. They made their way through the throng of people and finally they sat down with Alice, Jasper as well as Jessica and Mike.

"How did the first lesson go?" Jasper asked with a knowing grin.

Edward looked around quickly and then flipped him the bird, "Shut it! You guys are hopeless when it comes to 'big brother stuff'!" he growled as Jasper and Mike laughed out loud.

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked.

Edward glanced down at her, "Nothing love, this dipstick told me some pretty hairy tales about these 'lessons' were all about that's all." He said before he began to chuckle.

Everyone close by to their table began chuckling as some of the women shook their heads.

Bella blushed and dipped her head, "I can only imagine," she mumbled.

She looked up to see Emmett grinning at her as he wiggled his eyebrows and Bella's blush deepened as she threw a piece of bread stick at him.

"Stop it Emmett!" Edward ground out as he put a protective arm around Bella's shoulders.

Emmett was forever teasing her because he loved to make Bella blush but more than that, he saw her as his and Jasper's little sister, similar to Bree and so she was teased much the same as Bree was.

Alistair walked over with a fresh pitcher of beer for the guys and a homemade wine cooler that he had concocted for the women. A couple of waiters followed behind him with trays laden with tapas style snacks and cold drinks for the children.

"So Bella, are you ready for your final year?" Jess asked as the guys became engrossed in some story that Mike was telling them.

Bella nodded with a grimace, "I think that I'm as ready as I will ever be. Principal Clearwater met with me last week and he was excited about the fact that I'm taking extra classes in Outdoor Education. You know what a big believer he is in any and all outdoor activities. I have a two-day camp just before it gets too cold with the other outdoor teachers and a couple of teachers from the high school. For now, I'm going to be the student teacher in Grade One with Mrs. Grady."

"Do you start teaching next week?"

Bella nodded, "I will be teaching on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I have class at Johnson."

Jess shook her head, "Wow, that's quite a heavy load with so much traveling. Are you sure that you can keep it up?"

"It's only for the first two weeks and then I will be teaching full time for about two months, while I finish my courses on line. The only time that I will be away from Hope Springs is when I take my finals in December and then I will be back to teaching four days a week in the spring until my final assessment and exams."

Jess shared a look with Alice before she looked back at Bella, 'Besides all of that, you are still planning on getting married next June?"

"That's the plan" Bella said with more than a hint of trepidation in her voice.

Alice could see that Bella was becoming uncomfortable and so she interjected, "It will work out perfectly, Jess. Bella and Edward know exactly what they want and thank God for the Internet and all of our friends because we will make it happen, right Bells?"

Bella let out a sigh and relaxed slightly, "Right Sis." She gave her sister-in-law to be a grateful smile. She knew that she would barely have enough time to breath for the next nine months let alone have time to plan a wedding but she also knew that between Esme, Alice, Rosalie, Makenna and Angela, she was (hopefully) going to have very little to do other than to choose between one color and another.

Once most of their friends had left to continue their evening plans, Edward and Bella took the dogs for a long walk before they drove back to Edward's home for the night.

Edward had sensed that Bella was distracted for a few days but he had been so busy that he had not had a chance to talk with her, so when they arrived home, he made them each a large mug of hot chocolate and after he pulled an afghan from the sofa, he led Bella out to the porch swing and pulled her down between his outstretched legs. He wrapped the blanket around them both and nuzzled her neck which elicited the best giggles from her.

Bella closed her eyes as she felt Edward's arms close around her, making her feel safe and secure. She covered his hands with her own and resisted the impulse to wiggle against him.

"Hmm, this is so nice." She said quietly as they sat in silence looking out over the dark and mostly empty common across the road. Every now and again they would see someone walking or jogging or a couple would walk or cycle past.

Edward kissed her shoulder before he rested his chin there and sighed contentedly, "This is wonderful. It feels like forever since we have spent some quiet time together."

"I know, since we came back from Arizona, it's just been one hectic day after another. We've rushed from one thing to another and now with this 'flu breakout, its worse. I can't believe that the summer is over already." Bella said.

Edward hummed in agreement.

Bella patted his hands to get his attention, "It's too much, Babe. We can't do this every year, we will go nuts! We need to take some time to just chill out and do nothing, so, um…"

Edward straightened up as he waited to hear what Bella was about to say.

"I don't think that we should make any separate commitments next summer?" she said quickly.

Edward had already thought about their plans for the future. With Bella not having school the following year, her work-load would be slightly easier, but Edward knew that she would push herself in any case – just to prove that she was worthy of being made a teacher.

"Okay, what about this; you have already committed to doing one class for Godfrey and Winifred next summer and I have committed to doing my duty in Santa Barbara again but what if we do it at the same time and that will be after we get married and go on honeymoon. What if I take an extended leave from the office for a month with no interruptions and no other commitments? How does that sound to you, love?"

Bella frowned slightly as she looked out over the common. Edward waited for her to speak because there was obviously something important on her mind and after a few minutes she didn't disappoint, "But, um, do you – what I mean is – um, can we afford that? I mean I'm not really sure how our finances will work – you know once we are married and stuff. This wedding is going to be expensive and I don't know how much I can really afford, I need to talk to Emmett." She began to nibble on the corner of her thumb-nail as she dipped her head to let her hair fall around her like a curtain.

Edward didn't like her hiding from him and he moved forward to cup her chin in his hand and he gently forced her to look at him.

He could see how distressed she was and he wanted to kick himself that he had not thought to bring their finances up sooner. He really needed all the lessons that he could get about marriage!

"Bella, sweetheart, why didn't you tell me that you have been worried about our finances? We are in this together remember? There is nothing that you can't ask me about or know about. We don't have any secrets, right?"

Bella bit her lip as she looked into Edward's bright green eyes.

"I didn't want you to think that I was overstepping…" she said quietly.

Edward shook his head, "Baby, there is nothing that you can't ask me and I mean that. Nothing is off limits."

Bella let out a breath that she wasn't even sure that she was holding in, "Okay – so then can we please talk about the wedding plans before tomorrow's meeting? I don't want to be blindsided into anything without knowing what it is that I am paying for or if I can afford it."

Edward took hold of Bella's hand, "You have obviously given this a lot of thought, so why don't we take this inside and we can put everything onto spreadsheets and we can also talk about my money, your money and our money?"

Bella quickly agreed and they each fetched their laptops and met at the kitchen counter, where Bella poured them some more hot chocolate as Edward put legal pads and pencils next to their computers and Bella brought the folder on the wedding that she had begun as well as a copy of her finances to the table.

Edward put a pile of papers in front of her.

Bella looked down and saw that they were his financial statements.

"Let me start by saying that I own this house free and clear. My family owns blue Bonnet Farm and upon our twenty-fifth birthdays each of us siblings received or in Bree's case will receive a ten percent interest in Blue Bonnet and all of its holdings. The company turns over about ten million dollars a year and we all receive a very healthy dividend from it each year."

Bella's eyes were wide as she tried to take in what Edward was saying.

"Ten, _ten_ million dollars? _For fruit?"_

Edward laughed and nodded, "I know, it's crazy right? Our Nana and Grandpa worked hard to build on to the farm that Grandpa Cullen's parents began and it grew steadily. We export some of our fruit and Mom's fruit juices are sold in restaurants all over Vermont as well as out of state, right along with her jams, jellies and sauces. But we also have money from our maternal grandparents who left us all trust funds."

"Trust funds?" Bella felt like a parrot.

Edward nodded, "We have always been more than comfortable, but you know that my parents have never spoilt us. We all had to work and pay our own way. They gave us a good education but that was it. We were and are expected to use our money wisely and if there is a hint of us squandering our privileges, they have the right under our grandparents' will, to pull the plug on our trust funds."

Bella was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Edward and all of the Cullen's were exceedingly rich! She snorted, and here she had thought that her measly inheritance of just of three quarters of a million dollars was a lot!

Edward's eyebrows shot up, "What's funny?"

Bella shook her head, feeling insecure again, "I was just thinking that my inheritance would come in handy for us, but now, you're telling me that it's just a drop in the ocean compared to…"

Edward held up his hand, "Stop that! Don't speak that way about yourself. Of course your money matters, Bella! Listen, the bulk of my money is tied up in Blue Bonnet; just the same as Emmett's and Jasper's is. Yes, we can have access to our funds at any time and from time to time we splurge out, or if we want to invest in something or whatever, but our salaries are more than enough for us to live on. We all own our own homes, our cars and our businesses; well with the exception of Jasper but he still has his own practice. I don't want you to be all freaked out by this but I didn't want us to have any secrets either."

Bella pondered his words as she sipped her drink.

"Okay, I understand. We don't have money troubles but we still have to work out a budget and stuff." She said.

Edward breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, well we can work on my salary which is…"

He stopped talking when Bella frowned and shook her head, "What?" he asked.

"What about my salary?" she asked.

"We can live off mine…" he began but Bella stood up abruptly, "No! I'm not some kept woman, Edward! I pay my own way and so what that I will probably earn about a third of what you do-"

The grimace on Edward's face made her arch her eyebrows as she pushed her fists into her hips, "What now? You earn more than nine thousand dollars a month?"

Edward rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, well, with hospital privileges and such and my specialty in Emergency and Trauma Surgery; I bring in about fifteen thousand."

Bella snorted again, "That figures. Well, be that as it may; I still want to contribute to our living expenses."

Edward looked at Bella's narrowed eyes and the determined tilt of her chin and he had to bite his cheek to keep from smiling.

The last time that he had smiled at her when she was pissed off, she had kneed him in the balls! Just the thought made him what to cup his genitals but he restrained himself.

"Okay, what about this," he said thinking of a solution, "the house is paid for and so there are only utilities, food, insurances and garden services to pay for."

Bella nodded as she walked back to the table, "Okay then, well what about if I pay half of whatever my salary towards that?"

Edward could see that he was not going to be able to dissuade her and so he was happy that he had thought about a compromise beforehand.

"What about we each put some money into a household account? That way we can pay our monthly expenses from it and we can use it for repairs or upgrades? You will still have your own account so that you have that safety net." he suggested. Edward knew how afraid Bella was of not having any money and how attached she was to having her own bank account.

Bella pursed her lips as she thought about his plan and then she nodded, "That sounds reasonable."

Edward smiled, "See? That was easy!"

Bella muffled a yawn but Edward looked at his watch and saw that it was almost midnight, "Let's leave the rest for tomorrow, love. Come on, let's go to bed."

Bella really wanted to discuss the wedding expenses but she was suddenly so tired that she quickly agreed and she checked on the dogs one last time before she and Edward headed up to bed.

=====HS=====

The next morning both Bella and Edward slept late and by the time that they had eaten, fed the dogs and they had taken them for a run, it was time for Bella to pack up her car and she followed Edward to his parents' house for the family meeting.

Bella was nervous for some inexplicable reason. She had always known that the Cullen's had money and it had never bothered her before because none of them flaunted their wealth around. Rosalie and Alice often gave each other clothes that their children had grown out of and they shared the excess with Angela, Lauren and Jessica.

Even Esme didn't waste. She grew her own vegetables because she enjoyed gardening and as she explained to Bella one day, what better food could a woman give her family that produce that was from their own garden. And although Esme, Alice and Rosalie were usually dressed with immaculate taste, Bella knew that they didn't go off shopping on a whim.

Even Bree had been told that she would need to get a weekend job to pay for gas once she received her license.

She felt that she would be at a distinct disadvantage at the meeting if Edward's family began to insist on fancy frills that would drive the cost of the wedding up.

Bella parked behind Edward's truck and he pulled her against his side as they took the steps to the front door.

"I'm going to miss you this week." Edward said as he kissed the top of her head.

"Hmm, I'm going to miss you too, but hey! I will be back on Friday and then we will only have a week before I begin to teach."

Edward guided her into the dining room where they could hear that the rest of the family had gathered.

"There you two are! Come on in, we were just about to sit down to lunch," Esme said when she saw them.

After lunch the dining room table was quickly cleared as the adults gathered around the table. Bella was even more nervous when she saw Alice put a huge stack of wedding magazines in the center, while Emmett, Jasper, Edward and Carlisle sat looking a little out of place.

Once Edward held up his hand to still the chatter, he reached over and picked up Bella's hand, "So, thanks for getting together at such short notice. Bella and I realize that we still have nine months to go before we are married, but with Bella being in her final year and my practice, well we just wanted to kick start this shindig. Now, Bella, what questions did you have for everyone?"

Bella felt her face get red as she cleared her throat, "Esme, Carlisle, um, do you know how many people you are going to invite?" she tried to ignore the quiver in her voice.

Esme looked at her husband, "Well, I think that we need to first see what it is that the two of you want for a wedding. Perhaps we need to ask how many people do you and Edward want at your wedding?"

Bella stared down at her folder without answering. Edward looked on with concern. He could see that Bella was upset, but he wasn't sure why.

"Bella is something wrong?" he asked quietly.

Bella opened the folder and pushed it towards Edward. He looked at his parents with a silent shrug.

Esme had an idea what was upsetting Bella but she kept her mouth silent as she suggested that everyone take their coffee outside.

Edward gave a silent whistle as he quickly looked through all of the information that Bella had gathered. Of course he should have known that she would be thorough and detailed in her research. The last page was a spreadsheet breakdown of the expenses but none of it looked excessive and he was a little perplexed by her obvious distress.

"Love, none of this looks excessive, so what is your concern?" he tried to be as understanding as he could when he could not for the life of him see what her issues were.

Bella reared back as if he had smacked her, "What do you mean, 'not excessive'? Just look at the bottom line Edward!"

Edward gritted his teeth as she drew out his name – he hated it when she did that.

"What? So the wedding will cost about twenty to thirty thousand? Well, if I remember correctly Rose and Alice's weddings each cost double that and that was a decade ago." Edward said with a frown.

He was not prepared for Bella throwing up her hands in pure frustration, "No, Edward, it will cost _me_ twenty to thirty thousand dollars and that is a conservative number – that's if not everyone turns up! You are paying for the preacher and the booze, so that's about four or five thousand, depending on what you serve, but…"

Edward got and turned to face her, "Bella, what the _fuck_ are you talking about? This is _our_ wedding so we are paying for it together. There is no 'your bill and my bill' bullshit. This is about what you want for _our wedding day_ and I will make sure that you get it. I appreciate the fact that you've done all of this," he waved at the folder, "but we are not a traditional couple. If your parents were still alive, they would probably be chipping in, just the same as my parents will probably want to; but I would never expect anyone to pay the whole thing!"

Bella gave a hard laugh that wasn't a laugh at all, more like a dismissive snort, "I am not your responsibility Edward, nor am I theirs – I can pay my own way!" Bella shouted in a fit of temper.

"Really? Now, suddenly we are not your family? This isn't nineteen fifty five!" Edward shouted over Bella.

"Hey, hey! _HEY!"_ Emmett shouted over their raised voices. Edward and Bella swung around to see the rest of their family standing in the doorway staring at them.

"That's better, now what are you two screaming about? You are supposed to be organizing your wedding." Esme said.

Bella looked at Edward and shook her head, "He is being unreasonable!" she said.

Edward looked at his father for support, "She is being ridiculous!"

They were not prepared for Carlisle and Esme to look at each other and to burst out laughing.

They laughed so hard that Carlisle had to wipe his tears away as he fell into the chair next to Esme.

Edward stood with his arms folded and tapped his foot, "Are you two finished?"

Carlisle gave a last chuckle and nodded as he waved everyone back to the table.

"Sit down kids."

When they hesitated Carlisle fixed them with his cool blue stare that unnerved them both, "Sit. Down." He repeated quietly.

Once they were sitting, Carlisle smiled at Esme before he looked at Edward and Bella.

"Now, the point of you two getting married is – what?"

"To spend our lives together?" Bella answered but it came out more like a question and this made Edward scowl. Bella bit her lip as she felt her anger fall away. She tucked her small hand over Edward's fist that was pressing into his leg.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Edward sighed as he opened his hand and curled it around hers before he brought their joined hands to his mouth to kiss her knuckles tenderly, "I'm sorry too."

He turned and pressed his lips to her temple, "Forgive me."

Bella quickly wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed his neck, "There is nothing to forgive," she whispered.

Esme cleared her throat and drew them out of their bubble.

"That's better, now, can we continue?" Esme asked.

They both nodded.

"Great! Now that we have that out of the way, I assume that you have not covered finances with Pastor Craig yet, but here is a quick lesson. You first put your budget together and then you go from there. Edward, you know that your mother and I don't have any secrets from each other and we discuss any and all purchases over five hundred dollars. That is what works for us. It's not a matter of asking permission, it is just a way for us to stay informed in what is going on in each other's life." Carlisle said with quiet amusement. Edward fought the temptation to roll his eyes childishly.

The younger couple shared a look and nodded, their advice made good sense.

"Now Edward and Bella, Mom and I don't know what your budget is for your wedding but as with your brothers'; we are giving you an amount of thirty thousand dollars towards the cost of the wedding."

Bella gasped.

_What?_

Everyone ignored her as Carlisle carried on, "Whatever wedding expenses are over that amount will be for your expense and if there is anything left from that well, then you can put it towards the honeymoon."

He sat back and smiled at them.

Edward quickly thanked his parents while Bella just stared at her folder as she felt tears gather in her eyes.

_Damnit! If the Cullen's were willing to just give us thirty thousand dollars for a fucking wedding, then they would never approve of my ram-shackle 'back-yard' reception idea. I'm never going to be enough – they will want to change me and I'm never going to live up to their expectations!_

Even as the irrational thoughts flooded Bella's mind, she knew that she had to get away. She felt as if she couldn't breathe.

Alice and Rosalie were talking about flowers and decorations, while Esme was asking about cakes and wedding favors. When Esme reached for her handmade folder, Bella suddenly it was just too much.

They were going to think that she was tacky, they would know that she wasn't good enough to be a Cullen, they would know -

"NO!" she shouted as Esme opened her folder. Bella didn't want them to think less of her.

Bella could feel the walls closing in on her as she pushed her chair backwards and scrambled to her feet, "Ex- excuse me… I… um" she mumbled as she turned and fled out of the dining room into the kitchen. Once she was through the front door she put her hands onto her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

Bella was mortified at her behavior. What the hell was wrong with her? She was acting like a crazy person!

She wanted to run away – she wanted to get into her car and drive as far away as possible, but she also knew that this was not an option.

So she sat down on the top step of the porch after she promised herself that she would go back inside shortly.

Bella buried her head in her hands and let out a moan, "Ooooooh!"

"Hey, Shorty." Emmett's deep voice jolted her out of her daze and she nodded when he asked if he could join her.

"Sooo – should I ask what that freak-out was about?" he said as he nudged her shoulder with his.

Somehow Bella didn't mind Emmett asking questions – he was direct and intrusive but in the most loving way.

Bella lifted her head and looked at her brother-in-law to be. His blue gaze was steady and warm and Bella knew that he would never judge her.

"I was budgeting on the whole wedding costing thirty thousand – if we get fancy food and all, and I was worried about how to pay for it all and then your parents come along and they – and well, maybe my idea isn't good enough – what if they want… fuck…" Bella eventually rambled into silence.

Emmett shook his head sadly as he flung an arm over her shoulders, "You know, Bells, for someone who is so smart, you can really be a horses' ass sometimes!"

Bella looked up in shock, only to find Emmett staring down at her in a silent challenge.

"What do you mean?"

Emmett shook his head, "How many times have Mom and Dad told you that you are one of us? They took you in, gave you a home, offered to pay for college; they gave you a job and now, when they want to give you and Edward something that they have given to both Jasper and I and –_ now_, you freak out? It just doesn't make sense."

Bella nodded, "I know that it sounds crazy, but if they are willing to give us so much money, what if my idea to have a reception in the meadow isn't good enough for them – for all of you?"

Emmett snorted, "Damn woman, it's a wonder that Eddie isn't bald yet! I would have pulled all of my hair out with you! Bella, whose wedding is it?"

Bella rolled her eyes but when she met Emmett's hard glare she answered, "Edward's and mine of course."

"And when have my parents ever overridden your wishes?"

Bella opened her mouth and then snapped it closed.

Emmett raised his eyebrows as his blue eyes twinkled.

She rolled her eyes and smiled reluctantly, "Okay, smartass, never."

Emmett cupped his ear, "What was that?"

"Never! They have never run roughshod over my wishes!" Bella said defensively – Edward's parents had always given her a choice and they had always respected her decisions.

"Then why on earth would your wedding day be less important than other days?" he asked quietly.

They sat quietly for a moment before Bella realized that she was going to have to face them and she groan and rubbed her hands over her face.

Emmett chuckled quietly, "Yeah, come on – the sooner we go back in there, the better you will feel."

He got up and held out his hand and Bella reluctantly put her hand into his and they walked back inside.

Esme, Alice and Rosalie were in the kitchen chatting as Esme cut a delicious looking chocolate cake into pieces.

She looked up as she heard Bella's footsteps and smiled at her warmly, "Come and get a slice of cake, Bella, before it's all gone."

There was not a trace of anger or impatience in Esme's smile and Bella knew that Esme would not bring up the scene in the dining room unless she did.

Bella smiled weakly as she accepted a piece of cake.

She dared to look at Alice and Rosalie as they chatted about cake flavors.

Bella looked down at the cake in her hand and bit her lip.

"I'm, um, I'm sorry that I was so rude earlier on." She said quietly.

She closed her eyes briefly as she waited for someone to berate her for her lack of manners or her juvenile taste, but Esme just walked around the island and put an arm around her waist as she hugged her briefly.

"That's okay darling, wedding jitters gets to all of us. Why Rosalie turned into the biggest cry baby you could ever imagine!" she said with a chuckle.

Rosalie was grinning as she nodded, "Oh my God! I was insane! Al, do you remember the flower shop?"

At the mention of that, Esme and Alice burst out laughing.

"Oh Bella! It was priceless! The florist had been instructed that Rosie's bouquet was to be deep red and she didn't want roses, but when we arrived, there was a huge bouquet of pink roses – it trailed down to the floor and it looked like a wall feature, never mind a bouquet," Alice could hardly contain her laughter as she continued, "and well, Rosalie went nuts!"

"I didn't!" Rosalie protest half heartedly as she winked at Bella.

"Yes, baby, you did. I mean, the police were called, and I had to go and bail my fiancée out of jail the day before our wedding!" Emmett cut into the story.

Bella began to giggle as each member of the family added to the story of how Rosalie had single handedly destroyed over three thousand dollars worth of flowers before she was restrained.

Soon they were swapping more crazy 'wedding' stories about themselves and their friends and Bella's little 'freak-out' was all but forgotten.

Edward stood leaning against the counter with Bella tucked into his side, "Feeling better?" he said so that only she could hear.

Bella looked up at him and she stood on her toes to press a kiss to his slightly scruffy jaw, "Yes, thank you."

Suddenly she wasn't embarrassed to share her vision for their wedding any more. In fact she wanted her family's approval and input.

"Um, so, I wanted to, um, well, I wanted to know if we could have our reception in the meadow behind the house?" she asked into a moment of silence.

Esme smiled broadly, "That sounds perfect, Bella! What a wonderful idea!"

Bella looked at Carlisle nervously. She hadn't realized until that moment how important his approval was to her.

Carlisle was grinning with approval and pride, "My great-grandparents would be very proud to know that you and Edward want to share your special day in a place that has a very special place in our hearts, Bella. I think that the meadow will be a great place for your reception."

Bella felt herself beaming as everyone began talking at once about what a great venue the meadow would be. Alice was waving her arms as she described the décor that she was 'envisioning', while Rosalie added her opinion and suggestions.

Emmett spoke over the voices as he asked loudly, "What about food, Bells? I don't want some 'namby-pamby' pretentious shit!"

Esme didn't even pause in her conversation as she reached up and slapped the back of Emmett head.

"Ow! Mom! Damn that was hard!" he shouted as he rubbed his head.

Carlisle looked over at his oldest son with a smirk, "It was meant to be – watch your language, son." He reprimanded.

Emmett mumbled an apology to his mother as he gave his father a dirty look, before focusing back on the pressing issue at hand.

"So – what kind of grub are we having?"

Bella began to describe what she had been thinking about but Esme interrupted her and suggested that they take their cake and coffee out to the back porch.

She asked Edward and Emmett to carry the trays outside. After they were all settled, Esme handed Bella's folder to her with a tender smile, "I think this is going to be a wonderful wedding, Bella." She said before she took her seat next to Carlisle.

"The floor is yours, love," Edward said.

Bella nodded and took a deep breath before she began to go through the points that she had made.

Instead of inviting the entire town, Carlisle suggested that they have a second wedding reception when they returned from honeymoon so that people that we not invited could share in the celebrations as well.

As the afternoon wore on, Bella was in awe of the shear dominance of the Cullen women. As soon as Bella and Edward's wishes were known, Esme began to organize her troops, otherwise known as Alice, Rosalie and Brianna.

Later, as the men worked thick steaks on the grill outside, and the women set the tables inside the dining room, the outline for Bella and Edward's wedding came together.

Bella stood at the stove, putting the finishing touches to her Macaroni and Cheese dish for the children, while Alice sat in the old overstuffed armchair in the corner breastfeeding baby Dylan.

Bella could not help but smile at the chubby baby that grunted greedily whenever he smelled his mother's milk.

Rosalie was making a huge dish of peach crumble for dessert, while Esme finished garnishing her potato gratin and Bree tossed the huge bowls of green salad and Greek salad that she had made.

Dylan fell off his mother's breast with a contented sigh which made everyone chuckle.

"He is such a little piggy, huh, Mama?" Brady asked his mother. He had being playing up a little once he discovered that Dylan was not just a visitor, but in the last few weeks, he had begun to accept that he was a 'big' brother.

Alice leaned over and kissed his soft hair, "That he is, my darling." She quickly put the slumbering baby into his crib.

"Dinner's ready," Bella told the children as she finished slicing the delicious concoction into large squares.

Once the children were settled at the 'kiddies table' and the side dishes had been put onto the dining room table, the women all sat down with a glass of white wine, with the exception of Alice who had sparkling apple juice and the talk turned to the wedding again.

"So, we have the date, time, as well as venue and numbers. You and Edward just need to choose colors as well as an invitation, Bells and before that, we will make sure that we have the list of people, addresses, email addresses and other contact details. Alistair, Mike and Arturo have all agreed to do the catering; we will sauce ideas for decorations, bunting etcetera but the next meeting and Rose and Bree are going to begin researching bridal party gifts and party favors." Esme looked at her daughter and daughters-in-law proudly before she looked over at Bella.

Bella let out a sigh and smiled, "Thank you Miss Esme – all of you. Thank you so much, this is so much more than I had hoped for…"

She looked down and bit her lip before she took a deep breath, "Alice, Rosalie? Would you both be my maids of honor? And Bree, I would love it if you were my brides' maid, although I'm not sure what that is, but you girls are my family and I want you all with me… if, if that's okay?"

Bella barely had a chance to brace herself before she was tackled by the three squealing women. Esme clamped her hand over her mouth as she let out a loud guffaw. This of course brought the children running to see what was going on.

"Whatcha doin' Belle?" Brady asked as he watched his mother and aunts give Belle 'bear-hugs' as uncle Emmett called the tight 'holdy' hugs that made him giggle.

When they had quietened down, Bella smiled at her soon to be nieces and nephews, "Well, Brady, I wanted mommy and your aunts to be in my wedding party."

Brady let out a sigh and scowled slightly. Yeah, his Belle was marrying uncle E. He didn't really mind, but she was his first – he told uncle E that he had better share Belle!

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Well, it means that mommy and Aunt Rosie and Bree will get dressed up in pretty dresses and will stand with me when I marry uncle E." she explained.

Brady scrunched up his nose and looked at Jed as his older cousin groaned, "That's boring girls stuff!" he said.

"Okay! Don't be rude Brady Cullen, now apologize to Aunt Bella and then you all go and eat the delicious dinner that she made for you." Alice said firmly as she gave her son a warning glance.

Brady pushed his long blonde hair off his forehead before he stepped closer to Bella. "I'm sorry my Belle. You's gonna look so pretty, even if you are marrying uncle E." He stage whispered, before he kissed her cheek.

Bella hugged him quickly, "Thank you sweet cakes. You know that we love you, right?"

Brady grinned at her and he looked like a mini Jasper before he whipped around and ran back into the den.

Bella sat up as the men came in and everyone began to dish up.

Over dinner, Bella asked Alice and Rosalie if Emma and Chelsea would like to be her flower girls, along with little Dale, Angela's daughter.

The boys were only too happy to not be included when they were given the task of being in charge of the kiddies' entertainment that night.

Bella and Edward had decided that while they love the idea of an 'adults only' wedding, they loved their family's children and their friends kids and they didn't want them to be left out and so Edward promised her that he would have a special marquee erected in the back yard of the main house that would house games, food, television and most importantly comfortable daybeds and cots where the little ones would crash while their parents enjoyed themselves. Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle thought it was a brilliant idea and although the swimming pool would be closed for safety reasons and the pool fence would be locked securely, the women were assured that the men would make the area look 'girly' in Emmett's words.

Jasper and Emmett had been asked to be Edward's best man and Edward had reluctantly agreed that if Riley and Bree were still seeing each other, he would ask Riley to escort Bree down the aisle.

When Alice had questioned Bella and Edward's decision to hold their ceremony in the small stone church, Edward had answered just like he had the first time that Bella had asked him the question.

Edward was holding Bella's hand as he looked at his sister, "Well, we thought about it, but both Bella and I want to experience everything that there is to when it comes to our wedding day and so I want to stand at the top of an aisle and wait for the doors to open before Bella comes down the aisle and everything, you know," he rambled as his ears turned pink and her rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Aaah that so cuuute!" Emmett teased, which earned him a warning look from his mother.

"I think that it is great that you and Bella want to be traditional." Carlisle said.

Edward patted Bella's hand and nudged her gently, "Go on, and ask him." He prompted.

Of course at that moment, everyone stopped talking and eating and stared at Bella curiously.

Bella shook her head vigorously and hissed, "Later!"

Esme changed the subject and soon conversations had sprung up again.

Emmet and Rosalie were saying goodbye to Edward and Esme in the front hall as Bella quietly followed Carlisle into his study, where he was going to look for a book that he had promised Bella.

She stood in the doorway for a moment watching the handsome man as he searched his overflowing shelves, muttering to himself.

He reminded her again of how Edward was going to be as he grew older, but there was a gentleness and attentiveness about Carlisle that was unique. He never hid the way that he felt about his family. He was the first one to encourage and the last one to admonish but his love was evident to all.

He was loving and kind; warm and sincere and secure enough to not be ashamed to show his sons physical affection with a hug or even a kiss.

Bella didn't know when she had begun to look upon him as her father, but somewhere in the past two years, Bella's feelings for Carlisle had changed from respect and awe to love and admiration. To Bella, Carlisle was the father that she had always imagined Charlie Swan would have been. He was a quiet champion for all of his children, whether they were connected by blood or not.

"Um, C-Carlisle?" she groaned inwardly at the way her voice broke from nerves.

She had no idea why she was so nervous but somehow asking Carlisle to give her away was nerve wracking.

He turned from perusing the shelves and smiled at her over his shoulder, "What is it Bells?"

Bella looked as if she wanted to faint and Carlisle slowly turned around to face her, "Spit it out kid, you look like you are going to pass out." He teased.

His quiet humor did the trick and Bella shook her head as she let out a giggle.

"So, I was wondering if you wouldgivemeaway" she said quickly.

Carlisle chuckled, "Sorry, but I don't speak gibberish. What did you say?"

Bella sighed dramatically, "I wanted to know if you will give me away? You know, at my wedding?" she knew that she was scarlet, but she pressed on, "I mean, I know that it's old fashioned and I know that you have a daughter and stuff, but if you wouldn't mind, well, you are the closest person that I've got to a dad…" she realized that she was rambling and snapped her mouth shut before she really put her foot in it.

For a long moment Carlisle stared across the room at the young woman that he and Esme had come to love as their very own.

Carlisle sometimes still pictured the frightened and frail child that had come to them only two years before and yet, the breathtakingly beautiful and confident young woman before him had the world at her feet.

He couldn't help the lump from forming in his throat or the way that his eyes burned when he saw how much Bella's question meant to her. She stared at him anxiously as she waited for him to answer and he did the only thing he could without making a complete fool of himself.

Carlisle waved her over as he murmured, "Come here, Sweetheart,"

Bella moved forward until she was standing almost toe to toe, 'Will you?" she asked again.

Carlisle nodded as he smiled tearfully, "It will be the greatest honor to walk you down the aisle, Isabella." he said quietly.

He was unprepared for the way that Bella threw her arms around his waist as she whispered, "Oh thank you! Thank you!" to him or to herself, he wasn't sure but his arms closed around her nonetheless and he rocked her gently before they parted, "Did you think that I would say no?" he asked with a crooked smile full of affection.

Bella bit her lip and gave him a one shoulder shrug, "I don't know, but I wondered if you know, maybe you would feel odd, because Bree is your daughter and I'm – "

Carlisle gave her a mock glare, "I dare you to finish that sentence any other way than, 'and I am your older daughter.' Go on – make my day!" he growled playfully as he waged a finger at her.

Bella stepped back and laughed, "Okay! Okay! 'And I am your older daughter'. How was that 'old man'?"

"Why you little…"

"Baby, are you teasing the old man again?" Edward said as he and Esme stepped into the room.

After a few moments Bella shyly told Edward and Esme that Carlisle had agreed to give her away. They rounded up the dogs and left shortly afterwards.

As Bella kissed a sleepy Edward goodbye early the next morning, she felt lighter and happier now that their plans had been firmly set.

She almost giggled to herself as she stopped downstairs to feed and pat the dogs before she walked out to her car.

Was it nuts that she felt engaged? She wondered to herself.

It was a breathtaking autumn morning and suddenly, Bella couldn't wait for the rest of the year to fly by – she was getting married!

She knew that everything was going to fall into place.

She was sure of it – easy-peasy.

_**A/N: Well this chapter started off in one direction and then went a complete opposite direction! Talk about writing itself! Oh well, wedding plans are under way – or so it seems. Who is with me for the madness that is Hope Springs in wedding season? There is a little drama in the next chapter before we get to the wedding, but hang in there with me. Hugs and loves,**_

_**Michele**_


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**At the end of chapter 33 – **_

_**As Bella kissed a sleepy Edward goodbye early the next morning, she felt lighter and happier now that their plans had been firmly set. **_

_**She almost giggled to herself as she stopped downstairs to feed and pat the dogs before she walked out to her car.**_

_**Was it nuts that she felt engaged? She wondered to herself.**_

_**It was a breathtaking autumn morning and suddenly, Bella couldn't wait for the rest of the year to fly by – she was getting married!**_

_**She knew that everything was going to fall into place.**_

_**She was sure of it – easy-peasy.**_

_***author's note:* Okay we are jumping time here in a major way – all the way to about 6 weeks before the wedding and then up to but not including the wedding itself. Hang in there with me… Mich**_

**CHAPTER 34 – The best laid plans…**

**Or**

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,  
>Gang aft agley,<br>An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,  
>For promis'd joy!<br>(The best laid schemes of Mice and Men  
>oft go awry,<br>And leave us nothing but grief and pain,  
>For promised joy!)<p>

**Robert Burns**, _To a Mouse (Poem, November, 1785)_  
><em>Scottish national poet (1759 - 1796)<em>

_**SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE WEDDING**_

In hind sight if Edward had known what one phone call would do to his future, he would never have answered it as he sat writing a prescription for his last patient. But he had no idea and so he happily answered on the second ring that lovely bright late spring day at the beginning of May.

"_Edward, I have a young lady on the phone for you, she says her name is Erin Thomas?"_

_Edward frowned, the name sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't work out why, "Put her through,"_

"_This is Doctor Cullen,"_

"_Um, Edward Cullen?"_

"_Yes? Can I help you?"_

"_Um, my name is Erin – Erin Thomas. I am, or um, I was, well, Jenna was my sister…"_

_Edward felt the blood drain from his face as he griped the desk._

"_Oh! Wow, Erin. You were quite a bit younger than your sister weren't you?"_

"_Oh yes! Jen was ten years older than me. Listen I know that this is sudden but I'm studying at Northwestern and I will be backpacking in Vermont this summer and I wondered if I could come and see you?"_

_Edward listened to the voice at the other end of the phone. It was as if Jenna had come back to life again. The lilting tone, the soft breathy voice all sounded like his dead friend._

"_Why?" he asked suddenly._

_There was a tense silence._

"_You were the last person to see her Edward. You knew her best of all and she was a bit of a mystery to me. I just, I don't know, maybe I need closure?"_

Even though he knew that it was stupid, he heard himself agree to see her.

He put the phone down and stared out of his window.

Now all he had to do was to tell Bella.

Fuck.

=====HS=====

Bella walked out of her final meeting with Professor Maggie Powell, the head of the Education Department and she could not help but give a small squeal of joy. Her meeting had gone so much better than she could ever have hoped for. Professor Powell had confirmed Bella that she would graduate 'summa cum laude' in both of her degrees and that she had been chosen as the Valedictorian of her graduation class because of her ability to complete and achieve the highest grade point average on both of her degrees – one full year early.

As if that wasn't enough, David Brightener, the Licensure Officer had also been present and he had told her that her portfolio had been very well received and she would be awarded her Initial Teaching License upon receipt of the confirmation from the college administration, which was really a formality at that point because of her continued exceptionally high scores.

Bella stood outside the administration building and took a deep breath as she tilted her face up to the warm spring sunshine.

Life is good, she thought to herself. _No, life is great!_

Bella's university career, at least for the time being was over.

Over the preceding six months she and Edward had grown closer if that was even possible. Completing the 'premarital counseling course' with Pastor Craig and his wife had forced both Edward and Bella to talk about their pasts as well as their plans and hopes for their futures, both as a couple and as individuals.

Bella loved teaching and her Grade one class was perfect. Mrs. Grady was retiring at the end of the year and Seth had offered Bella a permanent position for the following year to take over her class and Bella had jumped at the chance.

In addition she was going to be able to use her English degree because she was also going to be teaching a special advanced class twice a week. Seth Clearwater was a very young and progressive principal who advocated turning his teachers into leaders by allowing them to take charge of projects that would stir a passion inside of them.

Seth had approached her about the some of their more talented kids and Bella had suggested writing club/advanced class. Seth had loved the idea and as was his custom, he offered Bella the chance to take charge of it.

Bella shook herself free of her daydreams and walked toward the boarding house that had been partially her home for the past almost three years.

In just over five week's time, she would turn twenty-one, become an 'adult' and she would also become Mrs. Edward Anthony Cullen.

Just the thought of marrying Edward had Bella all hot and bothered, for several reasons.

Besides the fact that her fiancé could get her all randy just with one look, after they had reached the chapter in their couple's course that dealt with sexual gratification and behavior, they had a serious discussion with Craig that led them to decide to abstain from sex until they were married.

That had been in January and it had led to Edward running twice a day and working out in the gym and Bella had taken up kickboxing and jazz dancing, much to the amusement and secret admiration of their family and friends.

Edward had shown greater strength than Bella as he always made sure that she was back 'home' in her apartment before things got out of hand, even when she pouted adorably and begged him to 'slip just once'.

Bella giggled as she walked up the front steps and opened the door of the boarding house.

Mrs. B walked out of her office and smiled fondly at the young woman who had arrived a few years before, shy and unsure and she had blossomed into a confident and warm woman.

"Hello, Bella! All done?"

Bella nodded, "Almost, Mrs. B. There is the party tonight and then its home until Saturday when we all come back for the commencement ceremony."

Even though she had no real interest in attending, Bella had been pushed into attending the graduation 'bash' that was being housed in one of the student halls.

She walked up to her room and unlocked the door. The pretty bedroom looked empty nowadays. All of her paraphernalia and most of her belongings had been taken back to Hope Springs over the past few months, not that there was much. She had sold the books that she did not need and had sent the rest home.

Bella was only back for a couple of days at a time and so she only had one small bag and her bedding to pack up in a couple of days time.

Her phone rang and she smiled as she answered it, _"Hey baby."_

"_Hi Love, how are you? How did the meeting go?"_ Just the sound of Edward's voice made her insides go all gooey.

"_The meeting went really well. Everything is set for Saturday but I still have to work on my speech." _

Edward pushed back from his desk and smiled as he looked out of the window, _"Well, that shouldn't be too difficult for a clever woman like yourself,_" he teased.

The entire family was so proud of what Bella had achieved, but none were prouder than Edward. If the gentle folks of Hope Springs didn't love him and Bella so much, they would have told him to shut up about his fiancée's achievements long before.

Everyone that came into the office was treated to more tales of Bella's achievements.

Edward pulled himself from his daydreams as Bella continued to talk.

When there was a break in the conversation Edward cleared his throat as he remembered the reason for his call.

"_Um, listen love; there is something that I need to tell you."_

"_Oh yeah? Let me see, you have decided that you are going to ravish my body?"_

Edward would usually have laughed at her feeble attempt to seduce him, but when he didn't, it was Bella's turn to frown. She sat down on the window seat and waited for him to talk.

"_Edward? What's wrong?"_ she asked quietly, as she felt a tight ball of tension settle in her stomach.

"_Um, look, Erin called me today." _

Bella's mind was blank, _"Who's Erin?"_

"_Jenna's little sister."_ He said.

For a moment Bella couldn't remember who the hell Jenna was, but then she remembered.

_Shit_. Jenna. The girl that had died in Edward's arms! _Fuck_.

"_Oh! I didn't know that you were still in contact with her family."_ Bella felt as if she was going to puke.

"_I wasn't, I mean I'm not, not really. They knew where I lived and a couple of days ago Erin called me out of the blue. She wants to see me. She is a sophomore in college and she is going to be out here from San Diego." _Edward knew that he was rambling but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

"_Oh, well, okay. What, what does she want?" _

Back in Hope Springs Edward frowned again_, "I'm not sure. Maybe it's curiosity or something. I remember when her parents came to get Jenna's stuff. Well, I was pretty much out of it, but I vaguely remember that they had a kid with them. She looked like Jenna. Blonde, blue eyed, cute little thing." _

Bella closed her eyes and swallowed her insecurities down. They had never really spoken about Jenna. She knew that it was difficult for Edward to talk about that time and in all honesty, she had been too afraid to open that Pandora's Box.

"…_she will be here next week." _ Bella blinked.

"_Next week? How long is she staying?"_

Edward shrugged, _"I'm not sure, but she said something about looking for a summer job. She is going to be premed."_

Bella tried to stay as calm as she could. This girl meant nothing to Edward, she told herself. There was no reason to feel so threatened.

A tiny voice whispered, _**if that's true, then why are you so afraid?**_

Bella ignored the voice.

"_Well, that should be fun, right? So, when are you coming down?" she_ said with a false brightness to her voice that wasn't altogether lost on Edward.

=====HS=====

That night Edward woke up shaking and sweating in his large bed.

He took great gulps of air as he pushed the last of the nightmare away.

With a glance at the clock her swung his legs out of bed and sat on the side with his head in his hands.

"What the _fuck_ is wrong with me?" he groaned.

He pushed off the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. Seconds later he sighed as cold water ran over his sweaty body, calming his nerves slightly.

He made his way downstairs, wearing a pair of shorts and put the kettle on as he pulled out a tin of chamomile tea.

The dogs slept in the corner on their plush oversized bed as Edward poured water into the cup. He opened the back door and settled onto one of the chairs. It was only just after three in the morning and as expected the night was silent, except for the noises of the nocturnal creatures.

Edward let out a sigh.

He hadn't felt so conflicted since Bella had first come to Hope Springs. Ever since he had received that phone call, his dreams had been fraught with images of Jenna and Bella that always turned into a nightmare. Some of them were memories, some of them were images of the two of them, but Jenna's face morphed over Bella's.

The last image was always the same; _he was sitting on the bathroom floor, covered in blood, Bella's dark hair flowing over his arm as he held her lifeless body…_

"Stop it!" Edward growled to himself, making Roscoe and Apples jump up.

Erin Thomas had fucked up his life in a big way!

A wet nose nuzzling his leg brought him back and he looked down to see a very sleepy looking puppy staring up at him.

He reached down and ran his hand over her soft coat, "It's okay girl; come on, let's go back to sleep."

With a heavyhearted sigh he stood up and went back inside.

He laughed softly when he got upstairs to see that he would be sharing his bed with two snoring dogs.

=====HS=====

_**GRADUATION DAY **_

Saturday was a perfect summer's day. Bella lost count of the photographs that she posed for. The ceremony was long but Bella could not still the feeling of pride that threatened to burst out of her when she was called up to receive her degrees. Her address was short but it brought tears to most of the eyes in the auditorium and when she was finished and her graduation class had thrown their caps, Bella held onto hers tightly. She didn't want to forget one moment of this day.

Afterwards she found herself hugged and kissed to within an inch of her life as she was passed around from one family member to another. Her car was packed and everything was ready and she was more than happy to let Edward drive them home.

That night there was a graduation party in the Cullen's backyard and it seemed that all of Hope Springs had turned up to celebrate with Bella. At first it had been suggested that Bella 'reenact' the graduation ceremony, but Bella had quickly quashed that idea! To appease the town, Carlisle had suggested a cookout and while the family had been in Johnson, the rest of the town had turned the yard into a picnic area, complete with tables and chairs, and four huge barbeques to accommodate everyone.

Edward and Bella were standing alongside Emmett and Rosalie when someone tapped him on his shoulder.

"Edward?"

Edward almost dropped his beer as he swung around.

His startled green eyes me delicate cornflower blue ones. Edward felt the ground tilt as the blood rushed from his face.

"Jenna!" he gasped.

The petite blonde woman smirked up at him, completely ignoring Bella standing at his side, "Erin."

After what seemed like hours, Emmett moved forward and held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Emmett Cullen, Edward's brother. I don't mean to sound rude, but this is a private party…"

Bella wanted to cheer at Emmett's defensive stance. She hated the girl on sight. Erin Thomas on sight and instinctively she knew that this woman had the power to do a lot of damage to her and Edward's relationship.

Rosalie stepped forward to stand next to Emmett, almost shielding Edward and Bella, "I'm Rosalie Cullen, perhaps you can contact Edward during the week…"

Suddenly the girl seemed to crumble before their eyes. Her eyes flooded with tears and she seemed to shrink in size.

"Oh! Oh! Of course, I'm so, so sorry… I'll go…" she whispered as she began to back away from them.

Bella was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Edward suddenly sprang forward, "No! No, of course you can stay. Hi, I'm Edward. It's very nice to meet you, Erin. Come on, I will get you something to drink. Hold on, are you old enough to drink?"

Once again the 'girl' changed. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she giggled delightfully, "Of course I am, silly boy! Oh my, we have so much to talk about…"

She linked her arm through Edward's and then they were walking away leaving Bella, Emmett and Rosalie standing openmouthed.

"What the fu…" Emmett began.

"Who the…." Rosalie started.

Bella turned away from the sight of her fiancé, walking arm in arm with the woman, "She is Jenna's sister!" Bella hissed before she walked away quickly.

Bella didn't have another private moment with Edward that night. Or the next! Or the next!

=====HS=====

_**TEN DAYS LATER…**_

Carlisle sat at his desk, working on a paper when his phone rang.

He frowned as he glanced at his watch, it was after eight.

"_**Carlisle Cullen."**_

"_**Carlisle, sorry to worry you, but can I see you urgently?"**_

"_**Sure, Ned, is there a problem?"**_

The heavy silence was enough to make Carlisle nervous.

"_**Ned?"**_

"_**Can I see you tonight? It's about Edward – and Erin…"**_

Carlisle could feel the blood drain from his face.

=====HS=====

It seemed that when he wasn't working, he was taking Erin out, or showing Erin 'The sights'.

Bella almost exploded on morning the following week when she had gone to meet Edward for lunch only to find that he had left already.

Bella had made her way to Alistair's pub but when she saw Edward's head almost touching the blonde's as they sat huddled in the corner she thought her head was going to explode!

Alistair spotted her and before she could stop him, he called her name loudly.

Edward's head shot up as his eyes met Bella's. She hated that she could see the look of guilt on his face as he remembered that it was their lunch date and he had forgotten.

"Bella! Come and celebrate with us! Edward has just given me a job for the next couple of weeks! Isn't that swell?" Erin crooned as she stared lovingly up at Edward.

Bella felt her blood pressure skyrocket, "What?" she hated the spiteful tone in her voice as she glared at Edward.

He had the grace to look sheepish, "Yeah, sorry, love. But Erin here just got caught up and she swept me along. She is going to be manning the front desk while Cathy is on vacation."

Bella's mouth dropped open before she snapped it shut again as she counted to ten, "I see. Are we still going to lunch today?" she asked pointedly ignoring Erin.

Edward looked down and it was then that Bella noticed the empty plates on the table.

"Um… we… sort of ate already." He confessed, feeling awful. He knew that he had been busy for the past few days, but Erin seemed to need him and Bella was busy with the wedding and everything.

Bella's eyes widened before they narrowed as Erin whispered innocently, "Sorry Bells, but we just got carried away… you know how it is. Edward has been such a great help to me, you know, he's been so kind and understanding…" she stopped talking as she reached for a serviette.

Bella felt horrible. This poor girl was trying to come to terms with her sister's untimely death and all that she could think about was the notion that she was trying to steal Edward away!

Bella sighed, "It's alright Erin. Edward and I have plenty of time to see each other later. We are still on for dinner, right Babe?"

Edward nodded, "Of course." He said quickly.

But that evening Edward had called to cancel – Erin had had an 'episode' and she had begged him not to leave her alone at the guest house.

It was not the last time that it happened.

As their wedding grew closer, it seemed that Edward and Bella were growing further apart. At first it was barely noticeable but then their family had begun to notice the 'cracks' in their behavior.

=====HS=====

Wedding fever had taken over Hope Springs and so it was understandable that no one in the town noticed that Edward Cullen was not the only man that Erin had become friendly with.

No one that is, except Miss Tessa who just happened to see her with the same young man two days in a row.

"Interesting…" Miss Tessa said to herself as she swept the front of her dance studio.

=====HS=====

Bella grew more and more tight-lipped and crabby and Edward became more defensive and on edge. Their petty bickering began with small things; wedding arrangements or social plans but soon they were avoiding each other completely until three weeks before their wedding when Esme had heard Bella slamming around in the garage apartment.

Upon investigation she had found Bella sobbing noisily into a sofa cushion.

Bella could hardly get the words out but eventually she had told Esme that Erin had decided to prolong her stay – and Edward wanted to invite her to the wedding.

Suddenly Bella confessed how utterly confused she was by Erin's presence. She had never done anything wrong to Bella. She had never been rude of offhand, and Bella felt guilty for her growing suspicion that somehow Erin was drawing Edward away from her.

"I HATE HER!" Bella ended up shouting as she and Esme sat on the sofa.

Esme's eyes grew hard and dark, similar to the way Edward's did when he was angry.

"Do. Not. Trust. That. Girl." She said slowly and deliberately as she looked at Bella's tear streaked face.

"Wh-what?"

Esme nodded, "You heard me. Don't trust Erin Thomas. Not an inch. I don't know what the hell is going on with Edward, but I will tell you this: that girl is trouble with a capital T. You have to fight for him, Bella!"

Bella shook her head, "I don't think that he wants me to…"

Esme put her hands on Bella's shoulders, "That is bullshit and you know it! Edward loves you and Erin is just trying to separate the two of you but you can't let her! Edward can't or won't see it, so it's all up to you!"

Bella knew that none of the women liked Erin, or more accurately none of them wanted to like Erin but it was only Esme that was openly hostile to her. That night as Esme ranted to her husband, Carlisle foolishly pressed Esme for a reason as to her dislike of the girl, "Mark my words, that girl is still going to cause a shit storm in this town, Carlisle."

Carlisle stared hard at Esme before he pulled away from her slightly, "Darling, I need to tell you something and I need you to not freak out, okay? And I need your absolute word that you will not say a word to anyone – not a single person, understood?"

"Okay… Carlisle what is wrong? You are scaring me…"

Carlisle sighed, "Ned called me two weeks ago…"

For the next ten minutes Esme listened and argued with Carlisle, but his mind was made up. He demanded her absolute silence and she had no choice but to give him her word.

That night neither one of them got much sleep. Esme just hoped and prayed that it would all be over soon. She prayed that Bella would forgive them.

=====HS=====

The next event that rocked the very foundation of Hope Springs was set in motion by a phone call from Ned one night just after midnight just three weeks before Edward and Bella's wedding.

Edward had been called into the hospital for an emergency consult and he had only returned home a couple of hours before.

Edward was used to going from sleeping like the living dead to being wide awake in an instant.

Things had been a little testy between Bella and himself lately because Edward thought it was silly that she was feeling jealous of Erin, which Bella vehemently denied, but he couldn't seem to convince her to spend time with the two of them so that she would be able to see that there was nothing 'going on', as she liked to accuse him.

Instead Bella had become moody and ill-tempered and they were bickering over nothing at all.

The fact that they had not had sex in almost six months didn't help either and Edward was tempted to chuck the whole idea, but he really was trying to do the whole courtship and betrothal thing the right way.

He quickly sat up and answered the phone: _"Doctor Cullen"_ he said as he rolled over and sat on the side of the bed.

"_Edward?"_

Edward frowned, _"Ned? What's the matter?"_

"_Edward, I need you to meet me at the office immediately." _

"_What? Why?"_

"_Please don't ask any questions. Your father and brother are on their way over now; you need to get here."_

"_I'll be there in five."_

Edward moved into his closet and began to throw on clothes as he mind reeled. _Was his father sick? One of his siblings?_

When Edward pulled up to his office he saw Jasper's cruiser and Carlisle's Mercedes parked in the street, along with Ned's car.

He walked inside and heard raised voices coming from Ned's office and he hurried up the hallway.

Jasper and Carlisle were dressed similarly to Edward in jeans, T-shirt and jacket.

They stopped talking abruptly and turned to face him. He was taken aback by the serious looks on their faces.

"What's this about?"

Carlisle sighed, "Sit down, Son."

Edward shook his head, "Just tell me what's wrong, Dad. You are scaring me."

Ned cleared his throat, "I called your dad and the Sherriff, here Edward."

Edward's eyes narrowed, "What the fuck is going on?" he bit the words out.

"I have found some… irregularities in the medicine safe – serious irregularities about a month ago and well… this, um…" Ned said, looking as if he would rather be anywhere but in that room.

Edward looked from one to the other, "What sort of irregularities and what do you mean that you want to 'give me a chance to explain'? What is this? You think that I'm stealing drugs?"

Carlisle shook his head, "No! NO! But you know how this is, Edward. We need to do this by the book, so before you say or do anything else, Jasper is going to take a urine sample and Ned is going to draw blood," as Edward opened his mouth Carlisle held up his hand, "just let's get this done and then we will talk."

Edward snapped his mouth shut and he turned to stalk from the room to the bathroom across the hall. He didn't bother to close the door as he reached for an empty canister that was kept on a shelf in the room. He drew his hand back and glared at Jasper over his shoulder, "You need to give me a container, so that there is no question."

Jasper sighed and he pulled a container marked 'PROPERTY OF HOPE SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT' from his pocket and handed it to Edward.

"I'm s…" Jasper began but Edward just glared at him.

"Save it, _Sheriff_!" Edward snapped and he half turned away to open his jeans.

Once he had filled the container and Jasper had signed and sealed it, Edward washed his hands and walked back into Ned's office.

A tense five minutes later, Jasper was given two vials of blood that was similarly sealed and signed for.

Only then did Ned, Carlisle and Jasper seem to relax slightly as they all sat down and faced him.

Edward was seething with fury and confusion, what the fuck was happening?

Carlisle waved to Ned to begin.

"Edward; for the last two weeks, I've noticed that certain drugs have been depleting rather fast. At first I just thought that we were using larger amounts of them but then I had to do inventory and I inadvertently discovered we are missing about twenty thousand dollars of drugs."

Edward listened with shock and growing horror.

"Everything that is a schedule four and over. From the oxycodones like Perocet® and Oxcycotin®, to methodone, Vicoden®, Demerol® and Xanax®, I've gone over and over the numbers, Edward. What misled me at first was that the stock all looked as if it was there, but then I knocked over a couple of boxes and found that they were empty. _Every. Single. Box. _ I checked the bottles next and found that there were unlabeled bottles at the back filled with water or just empty so that at first glance you wouldn't see anything odd, but here is the kicker, Edward: Every bottle and pill was signed out by you."

Edward reared back as if he had been slapped.

"WHAT? DO YOU…" he roared, only to have Carlisle jump up, "Enough! Just listen to him, Damnit!"

Ned let out a shaky breath and adjusted his glasses, "I know that you could not have done some of this, because you were away one night, with Mrs. Wilson at the hospital in Woodstock and yet, several thousand dollars of drugs were taken that night using your thumb print. Now Jasper had already dusted the locker and he had come up with some smudged prints that aren't either of ours, or your dad's. We are the only three people that have been in that locker. Jasper? Perhaps you can tell Edward what else you have found?"

Jasper leaned forward as he stared intently at Edward, "You okay?" he asked quietly.

Edward shook his head, "No, NO! I don't believe any of this! How? Who?" Edward jumped to his feet and paced across the room. He swung around suddenly, "How the fuck did this happen, Jas?"

"I dusted the room and the outside of the room, but I also dusted the thumb print panel and found a paraffin-like substance on the panel. There is a residue of a mix of paraffin and wax. From what we can gather, someone placed a piece of wax that is used for casting prints on the panel and you used it."

"Once you were finished or between you using it and leaving the room, the wax was removed. This type of wax sets and seals the print in the paste, so using it afterwards was easy; all that the perpetrator had to do was to wait until you had either left for the day, or were busy and then they would slip in and take whatever they wanted."

Edward struggled to control his breathing. He swallowed several times before he spoke, "How do you know that it wasn't me?" he asked quietly.

Jasper's eyes met his for a moment before he looked down at the papers in front of him, "You are accounted for on nine out of the ten nights or times that this happened. Most incidences are at night and you have either been with a patient, at the hospital, or at Mom's or with Bella." Jasper went on to rattle off various dates over the past month.

Edward felt his blood run cold, "Who, who do you suspect?" he asked as he began adding up the times and dates. Most of those nights he had been at the hospital in Woodstock. Bella always knew where he was.

Jasper let out a hiss between his teeth, "Erin Thomas has a long history of drug abuse and she has been arrested twice for possession with the intent to sell…"

Edward felt the blood drain from his face and Carlisle caught him as he swayed dangerously.

_No! No! No! God, not her too…._

"Edward, son, _listen_ to me. This is not your fault."

Edward pushed away from his father and glared at him, "How, God, how can you say that, Dad? Sisters! Two fucking sisters! Both of them going to hell in a fucking hand basket because they are around me!" Edward growled and stood up unsteadily, "What am I? Some sort of junkie magnet? I made a fucking mistake once in my life and I've not faltered once in almost ten fucking years and yet I'm still under suspicion? I'm still paying for this?"

The four men stared at each other silently as Edward struggled to get himself under control.

Finally Ned handed him a bottle of water and they all sat down again.

Edward ran his hands through his hair and let out a sigh, "What now? I mean, are you sure, Jas, because you had better been one hundred percent sure before you go ahead with this investigation."

Jasper nodded, "She has been seen around Kyle Laurent ever since she arrived in Hope Springs."

Edward's eyebrows shot up, "Kyle? But I thought that he…"

Jasper shook his head, "He's out again. We've done some digging and it seems that Miss Thomas and Mr. Laurent attended the same drug rehab centre down in Oregon about two years ago. They have been 'close' ever since. We think that he happened to mention your name and she told him about your link to her sister. Kyle has had it in for you ever since you beat the crap out of him. Anyway, before Ned called me, James called me and told me that he was worried because an 'old girlfriend' of Kyle's was in town and they had been spending a lot of time together. James began to get worried when he saw that Kyle began to have too much money. Money that he could only have gotten by illegal means! I was about to make enquiries when Dad phoned me."

"You keep saying 'we', who is 'we'?" Edward asked with a growing sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.

Jasper pursed his lips, "DEA" he said quietly.

Edward jerked up, "What? Fucking hell! Why didn't you tell me?"

Carlisle shook his head, "We couldn't Edward, not until we were ninety nine percent sure that you were in the clear. You have to understand, we are talking about hard fucking prison time here! Anyway you are in the clear; the last thing that we needed was a drug test for you."

"There's more." Jasper spoke quietly.

Edward sat in silence as everything that he had been told sank in before he lifted his eyes to his father, "What now?"

Jasper spoke again, "Well, we have reason to believe that they are going to steal the 'mother-load' because Ned here made a point of ordering a shitload of drugs to arrive as part of the sting operation, that's going to arrive just before your wedding and we want to catch them in the act, so right now, we all just carry on like normal."

"What? Are you joking?" Edward asked in disbelief. "Jasper; I'm getting married in a few weeks! Bella is going to go ballistic! She already hates Erin and now she is going to fucking tear her limb from limb when she finds out!"

Jasper looked decidedly uncomfortable as he looked to Carlisle for support. Edward narrowed his eyes at his brother as their intention became clear to him.

"Oh no! No fucking way Jasper! I don't keep secrets from Isabella! Just like none of you keep secrets from your wives! How can I carry on as if nothing has happened when that little bitch is trying to send me to fucking prison for the rest of my life?"

Jasper leaned forward and Edward felt chilled by the coldness in his eyes, "You will do this, because it is the only way that we can catch these fuckers and keep our families safe, do you hear me?"

Edward saw Carlisle wipe his hand over his eyes quickly. Japer gripped his arms before he continued, "We don't know who the fuck we are dealing with here Edward but the last thing that I want, that anyone wants is for someone to try to 'get even' by harming our wives or our kids. So, you will sit tight and you will carry on while I work night and fucking day to sort this out is that understood? Is it?"

Edward was out of his seat as the bile rose in his throat and he just made it to the bathroom before he lost his dinner.

When he stopped dry heaving Carlisle was standing by to help him to his feet. He watched Edward closely as he watched him wash his face in cold water before Carlisle handed him some mouth wash and a towel.

Edward stood up and searched his father's face, "How long has she been playing me, Dad?"

Carlisle's mouth turned down with regret, "From before she ever came here. You were set up from the beginning. Surprisingly they have been far cleverer than we ever thought possible, and that's why Jas is worried that there is someone else involved. Kyle is a thug, but he is a stupid thug. This was too well thought out, too well planned. The timing is just too good. You and Bella and most of the town is busy with wedding arrangements and parties and shit and no one is really thinking straight, so things can get pushed under the carpet, forgotten, or mislaid. Hell, most of us don't lock our doors or watch our wallets or our purses. _Anyone can come and go in our town, as long as they are a familiar face_." He looked at Edward closely.

"Get it?" he asked.

Comprehension dawned and Edward nodded, "Yeah."

Carlisle nodded in agreement, "Yeah, she played you from the beginning with her innocent little act, but we got you, son, we got you." He said quietly before he put his arms around Edward and pulled him into a tight hug.

The rest of the night passed as the four men went over and over the details of the thefts, phone calls, texts and contact between Erin and Kyle.

It seemed that Kyle was the one that actually was breaking in to the rooms. Although there was no hint of a 'break-in' as Erin had her own keys, knew the alarm code and had gained access to the medicine safe. They had been very careful about their thefts as there were empty boxes interspersed with filled ones and some of the boxes were packed with cheap over the counter capsules or tablets so that if they were shaken, they seemed full.

Jasper was right; this was way too well thought out for Kyle to be the mastermind.

But who was the brains behind the thefts? That was what the law enforcement agency and Jasper strived to uncover in the next few weeks.

In the process, Edward and Bella's relationship went to pieces. Edward had tried at first to brush off Bella's growing concern and suspicion.

He tried to use humor, and then work to avoid the questions and the growing mistrust until at last he just began to get irritated with her badgering him all the time and so the arguments grew until he was picking arguments to avoid any questions and then they just began to avoid each other.

Every time he had to smile at Erin or eat a meal with her or laugh at one of her stupid jokes, he was sickened to his stomach but there was no way out.

With every smile or friendly touch, he watched Bella grow more hurt, angry and confused until finally Bella had grown tired and frustrated and when she had heard Erin's' voice in the background in the house, she had given him the ultimatum that he knew he deserved.

Bella had had enough. She had lost weight and she felt as if she hadn't slept in weeks. She and Edward were barely speaking to each other and Bella could not remember the last time that she had even kissed him, or cuddled with him.

Across town Edward stared out of his window. _**This had to end soon! He felt as if he was going to snap at any minute! **_

He had promised Bella that he would never keep anything from her again and here he was hurting her in the worst possible way. Every time he looked at her, he could see the hurt and confusion just pouring out from her. Her misery hit him in waves and sometimes it was just too much to be around.

His sisters-in-law were not talking to him and his mother just glared at him accusingly when he saw her.

They had promised him that it would be over soon, but here he was, one week before his wedding was supposed to take place and nothing had changed!

With a muffled curse, Edward picked up his cell phone and dialed a number.

"_Edward?"_

"_Please – I need you." _He whispered.

"_I know. I'm here. Talk to me."_

"_No, I need – fuck – I need to see you, now!"_

"_Meet me at Dawson's common in fifteen minutes."_

"_Thank you." _Edward sighed with relief.

Edward gathered his phone and keys and locked his office door. He walked past Ned's office and saw that the door was open.

Ned looked up and pushed his glasses up his nose as his forehead wrinkled in concern, "You don't look so good, man."

Edward snorted, "I feel like shit! I'm leaving now. I have a meeting."

Ned nodded, "Edward, for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Edward shook his head, "You have nothing to be sorry for! If anything, I am grateful to you for catching that shit." He spoke quietly as he cast a furtive glance over his shoulder.

Ned nodded, "But still…"

"But still nothing, Ned. If it wasn't for you, I would be languishing in jail right now and facing disbarment, not to mention the embarrassment of trying to prove my innocence, so none of this is your fault. You have stuck your neck out too; don't think that I don't know that. No, Ned, this is my past that's coming back to me." Edward said quietly.

"I'm just sorry that there are so many innocent people involved."

Ned nodded, "How is Bella?"

Edward rubbed his chest as the pain there intensified at the sound of her name, "We are barely speaking to each other. I just can't risk her being involved."

Edward said that they would talk later and he walked past the reception desk where Erin had just put the phone down. She smiled at him sweetly and for a moment, Edward wondered how a girl that looked like an angel could harbor such evil.

"You leaving now?" she asked.

Edward swallowed thickly and hid his feelings of hatred towards her, "Yes, I've got an appointment."

"Okay, well, are we still on for dinner at the pub tonight?"

"I should see Bella tonight…"

Edward watched a sheen of tears appeared in the clear blue eyes, "Oh. Okay." She said in a small voice.

For weeks he had been taken in by Erin's innocent act, believing that she was exactly who and what she said she was – until the night that he had received the phone call from Ned, that had changed everything.

Edward let out a short sigh, "I'll meet you at seven, but it has to be an early night."

Erin beamed up at him, "Thanks, doll." She smirked.

Edward drove quickly and parked outside his home. To make sure to keep up appearances, he changed into running shorts and led the dogs across the road.

He ran to the far side of the pond and suddenly cut through the trees.

Jasper and Emmett stepped out from the shadows, causing Edward to mutter a curse, "Shit! You scared me!"

For once Emmett showed none of his usual jovial self as he stared at his youngest brother with a grim expression on his handsome face.

Jasper gestured wildly, "Edward, you've got to keep it together, man! We are so close!"

Edward sneered at him, "Close? Fuck, Jasper, I'm about to lose my fiancée over this! Bella knows! I'm telling you she knows that something is up and she is slowly freaking out! We are days away from getting married and instead of her being happy and excited and shit, she looks as if she hasn't slept in days! We don't even talk anymore because I am so fucking scared that she is going to ask me what's wrong and I'm going to crumble!"

Edward was pacing back and forth, as he pulled his hands through his hair.

He stopped talking abruptly and swung around to face his brothers, "You have until the bachelor party and then I'm telling Bella and I'm kicking that fucking skank out of town myself!"

Both Emmett and Jasper held out their hands as Emmett spoke quietly, "Whoa Edward! Don't do anything crazy, man! Jas is right; we are close. The Feds called me this morning to say that everything is set up for this Thursday night."

"_This Thursday?_ Come on! That is the night of our bachelor parties! Fuck, Em! That's even if we are still getting married!" Suddenly Edward felt his chest close as he thought of Bella leaving him. He couldn't breathe, couldn't focus past the fact that his life would be over if Bella walked away from him.

Jasper quickly stepped forward and pushed his head down as he rubbed his back, "Relax E. Come on just take it easy. This will be over in three days, I promise. If the Feds don't take them down, I promise, I will step in and throw their asses in jail, but given all the evidence, we are sure that they will make their final move on Saturday night, during the party. The 'stock' is arriving on Friday and it's the perfect cover; everyone from town will be at your party and they will be under the cover of darkness – just stay strong and I promise you that it will be over soon."

Edward took long deep breaths to steady his crumbling control. He felt as if his entire life hung in the balance.

He looked from one brother to the other, "Fix this shit, or I will." He said in a voice that left no mistaking that he was deadly serious.

Once he had calmed down, he said goodbye to his brothers and carried on with his run. He headed home with Apples and Roscoe trailing behind him.

Roscoe wasn't at all happy with the way things were going – at either of his homes! That's right, they were pushed from one home to the next, which would be all very well, but his 'charges' didn't even talk to each other as they fetch or dropped them off!

Apples cuddled up to him once they were home again and Edward had given them each a treat and fresh water.

Apples still irritated him sometimes, okay, most times, but she was so darn cute, even though she was a naughty as all get out. Every day was an adventure to her, and every item, room or path was to be explored. Roscoe spent his time making sure that she stayed out of trouble and Apples adored him.

As far as she was concerned, Roscoe was All Knowing, All Masterful and he belonged to her.

Roscoe closed his eyes as Apples whimpered in her sleep and burrowed against him, _but then again, Apples believed that the entire world revolved around her…_

Edward sat in his backyard and stared moodily at dogs sleeping as if they didn't have a care in the world. He pulled out his phone to call Bella. He needed to talk to her, to hear her voice.

Just then his doorbell rang and he went to answer it. Erin stood smiling up at him, "Hey there! I thought that seeing as I was nearby, that I would treat you to a home cooked meal, so I've brought my supplies," she said in her breathless voice as she pushed past him and walked into the kitchen.

Edward took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down.

All he had to do was to 'play nice' with Erin for the next three days and then it would be over. He just hoped that Bella would forgive him for this deception.

=====HS=====

Bella sat on the window seat in her bedroom and ideally stared out of the window. It was Monday evening – three days before her and Edward's bachelor parties.

She was scared.

Scared because it was Monday and she had not heard from Edward since lunch time on Sunday and they never went this long without getting in touch with each other. It was only days before they were to stand before God and family and promise to love, honor and cherish one another for the rest of their lives and they had not spent two minutes alone since that, that bitch had come to town!

Bella took a large sip of the amber liquid in her glass and grimaced, she hated the taste of most alcoholic beverages but she needed all the courage that she could muster to do what she had to do.

One way or another, she had to get to the bottom of this shit with Edward. She picked up her phone and dialed his number as she tried to stop her hands from shaking.

"Bella," Edward answered his phone sounding weary.

Bella swallowed loudly, "Hi."

Edward closed his eyes tightly as he turned away from where Erin was lounging on his sofa.

"Am I going to see you at all? Or are you 'busy' again?" Bella asked, hating herself for the desperate and needy tone in her voice.

Edward rubbed the pain in his chest, "Bella… um, look, I…" he began.

A small hand on his arm caused him to stiffen before Erin wrapped her other arm around his waist and she smiled up at him, batting her 'innocent' blue eyes up at him, "I'm going to take a shower quickly, I'm all hot and sweaty from cooking our dinner, honey and then I'm all yours again!" she winked at him before she skipped up the stairs.

Edward heard a gasp through the phone, "Bella, it's not what…"

"You know what Edward? This has gone on long enough. I'm giving you until Saturday night to give me your answer. If you don't want to marry me, you need to come clean with your family, our friends and myself. If I don't hear from you, or if you don't… um, if you don't want me, then I will leave town on Monday morning and you never have to see me again." Bella's heart was racing as she spat the words out.

Edward closed his eyes against the burning that he felt. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, he couldn't think straight.

"Bella, wait!"

He could hear her erratic breathing on the other side and he knew that she was crying.

"What do you want to say Edward?" she asked as she tried not to let him hear the tears in her voice.

Edward opened his mouth and then closed it again. He didn't know what to say to Bella to fix this.

"I need you to trust me!" he whispered quietly.

"Is that it? Is that all you are going to give me? Trust you? Are you fucking kidding me?" Bella almost screeched into the phone.

Her short tirade was met with silence.

On the other side of the phone, Bella was clutching the phone in her hands and tears streamed down her face. He couldn't even lie to her over the phone! Didn't she mean anything to him?

Finally Bella let out a soft sigh of defeat, "I'm giving you three days to get your shit together or I'm out of here."

Edward was about to speak when he heard the line go dead.

He felt the cold fury burn through him and for a moment, he wanted to mount the stairs and rip Erin out of his house by her hair!

The only thing stopping him was the fact that he couldn't put Bella in danger because he knew that she would not stop at anything to make Erin pay when she found out what she had done.

Three days.

_**THURSDAY- 10 DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING**_

Bella sat back and forced herself to smile.

"That's it, then. Everything is set." Alice said with a satisfied smile.

Bella nodded and looked at her closest friends.

Angela, Alice, Rosalie, Makenna and Esme had decided to meet for the final time before the wedding to make sure that everything was finalized and every task was completed or had been assigned.

Esme had insisted on hosting the final meeting of Bella and her bridesmaids. She had watched along with everyone else in town with growing alarm as the distance between Edward and Bella stretched.

She was at a loss as to what to do and Carlisle had been no help either. He was also tense and secretive and she knew that it had to do with Edward, but he just refused to discuss anything with her! She had also noticed the strain that both Alice and Rosalie seemed to be taking with her sons and she was quite pleased that she would be joining the other women for Bella's bachelorette party, instead of suffering through yet another disastrous dinner with Carlisle or even worse, with the rest of her family.

The large marquee had been ordered as was due to arrive within the week. The menu had been finalized and agreed upon; loads of tables, chairs, serving tables, a bar, a dance floor and even heaters, in the event of an unseasonal cold front had been ordered from Hartford and would arrive at the beginning of the following week along with table linens, vases, arches that would be 'bedazzled' with ribbons, rambling Spanish roses, and tiny led lights and would mark the way to the meadow would be tended to by Debbie Warrington, who happened to be Cathy Wilber's sister.

Bella's dress was made, as were the dresses for the bridesmaids, flower girls and the maids of honor. The groomsmen's summer suits had also arrived and all were hanging in Carlisle and Esme's spare closet, along with shoes, socks and shirts for the men, and even underwear and spare panties and stockings for the flower girls in case of accidents.

Bella wondered if they would ever see the light of day.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

Bella shook her head to clear it and looked up to see her friends looking at her in concern.

"You're crying, honey," Esme said in alarm.

She touched her cheek to find that it was wet. She brushed the errant tears away as she shrugged and smiled, injecting a brightness that she didn't feel into her voice, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Just wedding jitters."

Rosalie met Alice's eyes.

They knew that something was going on. For weeks both Jasper and Emmett had been closeted away in meetings, secret rendezvous and hushed, hurried phone calls.

Neither would talk about what was going on, but when Alice had finally voiced her concern to Rosalie, they had been able to piece enough information together to come up with the fact that somehow, Edward was in the center of the secret, and that little vampish cow, Erin Thomas had something to do with it.

When they had tried to discuss it with Esme, she had tried to brush it off, but they could see how worried she was. After they had said goodbye to the others, Rosalie and Alice drove away and Rosie looked at her younger sister, "Ali-cat, what the fuck is going on in this town? It seems as if everyone has a secret of some sort and it's driving me crazy! Look at what Bella looks like! She is fading away! Her wedding dress had to be taken in again last week and even Carlisle has his head out of his ass long enough to threaten her with protein shakes and drips if she doesn't begin eating!"

Alice shook her head, "All I know is what my darling husband said to me a couple of days ago. I caught him whispering to Em and when I tried to confront him, he told me to stay out of it and he forbad me to talk to Bella, especially Bella about our concerns. He just said that everything would be over by this week. Well, this week's almost over and I haven't heard anything. I mean how are we supposed to go into their wedding week, with the rehearsal dinner etcetera with them not even talking to each other? Bella can't even discuss the wedding without balling her eyes out!"

Bella showered and washed her hair robotically. She deliberately thought of mundane things that she had to do before the following week as she applied a bit more makeup than usual to try to mask the dark shadows beneath her eyes.

She was grateful that her dress was adjustable as she slipped in the matching pink underwear before she put on the grey jersey dress that clung to her figure before she slipped on the eggplant three inch heels and the rest of the accessories that Alice had chosen.

The look was sexy and casual, while still being a little dressy.

Bella heard a soft knock at her bedroom door and her eyes met Edward's in the mirror of her vanity.

For a long moment they stared at each other until the air crackled with tension and Bella felt an all too familiar sting behind her eyes.

Edward looked as terrible and as ragged as she did. He looked like a model in his black tight jeans, his white dress shirt and his semi formal jacket.

Bella quickly picked up the purse that matched her shoes and stood up to face him.

"Hi," she said quietly. Her lips were suddenly dry and she quickly licked them.

Edward felt his stomach tighten as he stared down into Bella's wide, sad eyes. He had to look away from the questions that he saw there.

"Hi" he said.

He heard Bella sigh as she moved to walk past him, "Are you ready to go?" she snapped.

Edward's already frayed nerves almost shredded completely at her snappy tone.

"Please, God, don't start this right now!" he growled as he spun around.

Bella jumped at his harsh tone, but she forced herself to keep walking, "Whatever, let's just get this over with and then we are going to talk!"

The drive over was silent and thick with tension and frustration. Edward wanted to shake Bella so that she would listen to him and just give him a few more hours, but he also knew that she had reached the end of her rope and that they were walking a very thin line and so he said nothing.

Once the car was park, Bella tried to bolt out of it but Edward caught her arm. She turned to him shocked that he had initiated touching her, when for weeks it seemed he had done everything in his power to avoid physical contact with her.

"Bella…" he said as his eyes softened and Bella could see a glimpse of the man that she loved and wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

She leaned over and cupped the side of his face impulsively, "Talk to me Edward, please! What is going on? I am so scared and confused right now, and it's taking everything that I have to not pack my bags and run away. What is this hold that Erin has over you?" Bella's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she implored him silently to open up to her.

Edward let out a shaky breath. He was trying so hard to stay in control, but with each passing hour, he grew more nervous and anxious. He wanted this thing over with and he wanted nothing more than to tell Bella what was going on – he just had to keep it together for another couple of hours, he reminded himself.

"I, I can't, Love. You just need to trust me."

Bella stiffened as she caught a movement outside Edward's car and her eyes widened with disbelief before they narrowed and hardened, "You invited that - that _woman_ to our party?"

Each word rose in volume and tone until she was almost screeching. Edward scowled, his already frayed nerves as he turned to see Erin standing outside wiggling her fingers at him with a sheepish grin on her face.

He heard the car door open and saw Bella sliding out of the seat with a disgusted look on her face.

"Bella, wait!"

Bella snorted, "No, Edward. No more waiting. You have until midnight to sort your shit out, or I will."

She walked up the steps of the community hall without looking back and Edward wanted to wrap his hands around Erin's throat and choke her.

He scrubbed his hands over his face before he took one last calming breaths and pushed his door open.

"Hey Erin, I'm glad you could make it." He said with a smile.

=====HS=====

Erin stood in the shadows as she watched with over bright eyes as the disastrous evening unfolded.

Bella stood on one side off the room and Edward on the other and not once did they attempt to talk or dance together.

Erin smirked.

This was a bonus that she had not foreseen. Poor little Bella was having her heart broken right before Erin's eyes, and Erin loved it.

She had witnessed what looked like a fight between Bella and Edward and she was toying with the idea of seeing how far she could go with Edward, before she hightailed it out of town, of course.

By the end of the night she would have everything that she ever wanted.

Money – lots of it; obtained from the sale of the drugs that Kyle Laurent was going to steal for her, the stupid ass. She was meeting Terence King, a well-known drug merchant at the edge of town at midnight and then she would get the best payoff.

Edward Cullen's life would be in ruins and if she was lucky, he would spend the rest of his life in jail – where he belonged.

He had destroyed her life. When Jenna had died, her parents had been inconsolable. Jenna was the 'blue-eyed angel' of the family as her mother called her. Jenna could never do anything wrong. She was smart, beautiful, funny and popular. She was high school cheerleader, homecoming queen and by the time she was fifteen, she had slept with half the football team, she was popping pills and most weekends, she was drunk and passed out, but her parents were blind and stupid.

Erin's mother had died two years later after simply giving up the will to live. She had gone from being a healthy, vital woman to dying of multi-organ failure after spending eighteen months in bed popping pills, barely eating and sleeping herself to death.

Erin's heart had burned with a hatred for the man that had done nothing to save her sister and ultimately her family.

Over the years, every decision that Erin made was to someday extract revenge on Edward Cullen. She had stalked him via the Internet and once she had found out where he lived and worked she had begun to plot her revenge. Over several summers, she had driven through Hope Springs, while she stayed nearby. She would go into the stores, make small talk with the locals and always listen to the conversations around her. She learned about the Cullen family. She bought preserves from Esme and a pretty throw from Alice. She picked a dog up on the side of the road and drove it to Rosalie's veterinary practice. She got 'lost' and walked into the police station to get directions from Jasper and she tripped outside of Emmett's office and allowed him to help her up. Over the course of three years, Erin knew tons about the Cullen's. She knew when Edward had met Bella and she knew that she had to put her plan into place soon.

Kyle Laurent had been a gift from heaven. Erin had met him two summers previously and whenever she was in town, they would get together and get high or she would give him some pills. Just like her sister, Erin liked taking pills. They were small and easily hidden and if they were found, she always made sure that she carried them in prescription bottles that were in her name.

When Kyle had phoned her and told her that he was being sent to rehab, Kyle had phoned her father who was only too happy to book his wild child into a rehabilitation clinic. He prayed that she would not end up like her mother and sister.

Kyle had told her more about the Cullen's than she could have imagined and when he mentioned that Carlisle Cullen had a 'narcotics safe room' installed, her eyes had lit up.

Edward had never been prosecuted or charged for any part in Jenna's death. When her parents had asked about it, the police had told them that Edward had been 'led astray' by their daughter and her friends and that he had done everything possible to save Jenna that night.

Killing Edward would have been too easy, no; she wanted to tear his entire family apart. She wanted his parents to suffer, his siblings to flee and desert him, she wanted him to spend the rest of his life in jail, thinking about what he had done.

Finally all the pieces were in place and her plan was foolproof. She would drive a wedge between Edward and his pretty, wilting-flower girlfriend, and then she would steal drugs from Edward's offices, once she had wormed her way in the door. After that, if Edward were not arrested before she left town, she would place an anonymous call to the medical board and tell them that she suspected Edward was using and selling drugs. She was even prepared to accuse him of drugging and raping her, just to get the wind up their asses.

=====HS=====

Edward stared at his watch – _how much longer was it going to take?_ He wondered as he tossed back the last of his non-alcoholic beer. He saw Bella staring back at him and he could almost feel her anger and frustration from across the room, but there was nothing that he could do about it – yet.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he jumped up to answer it as he moved over to a quiet area.

"Edward?"

"Jasper."

"The first part is over Ed, we got Kyle red-handed. He sang like a fucking canary and confirmed that it was all Erin's idea. She has been plotting revenge on you for years so keep your eyes open, Bro. Apparently she is meeting some drug merchant at midnight and we want to make sure that we get him as well, so keep your head down until then."

Edward felt rather than saw Erin move into his line of vision and he spoke quickly, "I heard you, she's here. Keep me posted, bye."

He pocketed his phone just as Erin slipped around to stand in front of him.

"Maybe we can… take this party somewhere um, quieter?" she smiled as she adjusted her 'barely there' silver halter neck top so that her nipples peeked out from the top of it.

Edward ground his teeth together and gently put his hands on her shoulders.

He could not do this. No matter what was at stake, he could not betray Bella in any way.

"Erin..." he began only to feel someone hit the back of his head.

He growled and swung around to face a seething Bella. If he wasn't so startled by her behavior, he would have noticed that the hall had fallen silent.

"Bella! What the hell?" he exclaimed.

Bella glared at him, shaking from head to foot, "Right here, right now, Edward Cullen, you give me an answer!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Bella shook her head, "Really? Really? Fine! Did you sleep with her?"

Edward felt has if he had been sucker punched, "What?"

"You heard me! Have you been sleeping with her? She isn't Jenna, Edward! She is playing you for a fool!"

"Bella..."

Suddenly Bella could not take it any longer and her hand connected with Edward's cheek before she could even think about it.

The sound rang out loud and clear.

"No! You need to decide – right now: Her or me?" Bella spat at him.

Right before her eyes, his face changed. His startlingly green eyes had turned murky and cold, his face had emptied of all expression as he stood in the middle of the room, "You know what Isabella? I should have expected this, but like a fool, once again you blindsided me! This?" his voice had sounded out like a gunshot in the heavy silence of the room - clear and icy cold, "This is over. This is so, so over." He had said quietly before he turned and walked from the room, leaving Bella in shock at her own behavior and the cold finality in his action as he paused to put a hand on Erin's shoulder as he led her from the hall.

Bella took a deep shuddering breath and scrubbed the wetness from her never ending tears away for like the hundredth time.

"Bella, we are …" Esme's quiet voice sounded.

Bella bit her lip to stop herself from crying. She just nodded, "Um, excuse me…" Bella quickly ran from the hall, with her hand clamped over her mouth to hold back the sobs and she stumbled out of the town hall.

=====HS=====

Edward stormed out of the hall, pulling Erin behind him until he felt a pull on his arm.

"Edward! Wait!"

He stopped and swung around to face the woman that was intent on ruining his life completely.

He was sick of her game! He hated her and although he had never had a violent bone in his body, he was itching for Erin to give him an excuse to hit her. He would love nothing more than to slap her self-satisfied smirk right off her face. He stared down at the pretty blonde woman and wondered when he had ever thought that she was cute and pretty. She was a viper, evil and poisonous and if it wasn't for his family and Ned, Edward knew that he would be well on his way to losing his license and rotting away in jail.

"Edward?"

Erin's voice jarred him from his musings and he realized that he had been standing on the sidewalk for several minutes.

"What Erin? What the fuck could you possibly say to help this situation? My engagement is over! That's it! I am so fucking done! I need a drink, I'm going to the pub; are you coming?" he said as he stalked across the street towards Alistair's pub.

Erin wanted to jump up and down with glee but she hurried after Edward.

Bella stepped out of the shadows as she watched Edward and Erin disappear into the pub.

She had heard what he had said.

"_**My engagement is over! That's it! I am so fucking done…." **_

Bella's heart broke at those words. It was over. She remembered that she had driven to their joint bachelor and bachelorette evening together with Edward.

_They were supposed to be getting married in just over a week's time!_

Esme had warned her. She had told her that Erin was trouble and not to be trusted.

Bella hadn't listened – neither had Edward and here she was – embarrassed and heartbroken and ironically once again, she was homeless.

Bella sobbed as she walked on without really looking where she was going. Every time a car drove past her, it would slow down but then it would move on.

Finally she was walking up the dirt driveway as it wound up to the main house. She stopped in front of the old red wood barn and was about to open it when a completely unbidden thought struck her.

_Was she seriously going to slink away with her tail between her legs? Or was she going to fight for the one person that she loved more than anyone else in the world?_

Bella hurried up the driveway and up the stairs to her apartment. She needed to change clothes if she had a long wait ahead of her.

She quickly changed into jeans, a long sleeved T-shirt and she grabbed one of Edward's hooded sweaters before she put on socks and a pair of flat boots. She washed the remnants of her makeup off and pulled her hair back into a messy bun.

"Time to fish or cut bait." She said to her reflection as she turned to head out the front door.

Adrenalin spurred her onwards to her destination and she made herself as comfortable as she could.

Soon her eyes began to droop and she crossed her arms over her chest as she settled down for a nap.

=====HS=====

Edward ordered two fingers of neat bourbon from Alistair and he grimaced at the as the liquid slid down his throat as he set the glass down on the counter with a loud bang and held up his finger to Alistair.

Erin shifted uncomfortably. She suddenly had an uneasy feeling that Edward wasn't as into her as she had thought.

The next moment though, she relaxed as Edward turned to her with a bright, sexy smile and wiggled his eyebrows at her, "Let's find a seat and get cozy, shall we?"

He checked his watch quickly and gave a sigh of relief, only a little while to go.

Finally at quarter to midnight, Erin gave up trying to seduce Edward. He seemed to be too drunk to do anything at all but she could not help and lean forward to hug him.

"You will get what is coming to you, Edward Cullen. I've made sure of it." She whispered into his ear.

For a moment she thought that he had passed out but he lifted his head with a speed that gave her a fright, but then she watched as he blinked slowly as if he was trying to bring her image into focus.

"You too, Errrrrin, you too." He slurred before he put his head back onto his arms.

Erin sneered at the pitiful man that was drunk and heartbroken.

Perfect.

She quickly slipped out of her seat and left the pub, making her way to her car. Ten minutes later, she pulled to the side of the road. She could see the darkened sign that read "THANKS FOR VISITING OUR SLICE OF HEAVEN!"

She let out a loud laugh, "Heaven has just become hell for some people!" she chortled to herself.

Then she saw the outline of the dark SUV and her breath quickened.

King had arrived.

She got out and walked to the back of her car. The bags were just where she had told Kyle to put them and she checked them quickly before she lifted them out and walked forward to wait in front of her car.

King had been waiting for twenty minutes and once he was certain that Erin was alone, he got out of his SUV and pulled the backpack over his shoulder.

"Looking good Erin baby." He said with a leer.

Erin smirked, "You too. Now, have you got it?"

Terence King gave a short nod, "Yeah, now hand over the bags. You know the drill."

Erin tossed one bag over while she kept a close eye on the other one.

Terence bent down in the light of her car's headlights and opened the bag.

"WHAT THE FUCK? ARE YOU TRYING TO FLEECE ME, BITCH?" Terence roared as he reached back to pull out his gun.

Suddenly the entire area was flooded with huge, bright lights and there were at least twenty people in dark blue, black bulletproof jackets with the letters, D.E.A and STATE POLICE and V.P.D. emblazoned on the back.

Erin found herself facedown in the dirt as a boot was pressed into her back and cold steel was slipped around her wrists.

"ERIN, YOU FUCKING BITCH – I WILL FIND YOU AND END YOU!" Erin turned her head as Terence was led away.

"Up you get; you have lots of explaining to do!"

Erin spun around at the sound of a voice that she recognized and she glared into the face of Sheriff Jasper Cullen and she tried to spit into his cold smirking face but he ducked out of the way and Erin was lightly pushed in the direction of the waiting van.

"Fuck you, Cullen, this is entrapment! You tried to trick me!" she shouted.

Jasper pulled out his phone as the agents and his fellow officers hooked up the two vehicles to the police tow trucks. They would be headed back to the Crime Specialists garage, so that they could be gone over with a fine hand, to gather forensic evidence.

He looked down and hit a button.

"It's done. It's over little brother, now go and get your girl."

=====HS=====

Edward let out a sigh. Alistair sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Is it over?"

Edward nodded and took a shuddering breath, "Yeah, yeah it's over, thank God."

Alistair gave him a sad smile, "How about a real drink now, my friend? You must be so sick of black tea…"

Edward shook his head, "I was trying to keep her safe by driving her away, but now I have to see if I did too good a job of it. I need to go and find my Bella."

Edward headed to his truck. He had a vague idea of where Bella could be and he knew that he should wait, but he couldn't.

He had to make this right as quickly as possible. As he got to the door, his heart almost stopped when he realized that there was someone slumped over in the bed of his truck.

He quietly walked around the side and his heart melted at the sight of Bella curled up in the corner of his truck, fast asleep.

Edward couldn't help himself. He climbed up right next to her and gently lifted her up and pulled her into his arms.

Bella's eyes opened and she gasped when she realized that she was sitting in Edward's lap.

She began to struggle, but she stopped when she saw the trail of tears on his cheeks.

"Edward…" she gasped.

"I'm so, so, sorry, Bella." Edward got out before he pulled her tightly against his chest.

Bella's heart was pounding as she tried to work out what he was sorry for.

_What had he done?_

**A/N: um, are you all still with me? Please don't hate the author! I promise, fluff and smexy times in the next chapter and enough sugar to make your teeth ache! Promise. After they sort this little mess out of course!**

**Love,**

**Michele**


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**At the end of chapter 34 – **_

_**Edward couldn't help himself. He climbed up right next to her and gently lifted her up and pulled her into his arms.**_

_**Bella's eyes opened and she gasped when she realized that she was sitting in Edward's lap.**_

_**She began to struggle, but she stopped when she saw the trail of tears on his cheeks.**_

"_**Edward…" she gasped.**_

"_**I'm so, so, sorry, Bella." Edward got out before he pulled her tightly against his chest.**_

_**Bella's heart was pounding as she tried to work out what he was sorry for.**_

_**What had he done?**_

**CHAPTER 35 – Finding the way back **

Bella swallowed thickly as she stared at his grief stricken face.

"What – what are you sorry for?" she asked in a hoarse whisper. Bella was shaking so hard that she felt as if she was going to pass out.

Edward took a shaky breath and wiped his wet face, "We need to talk, right now. Can we go home?"

Bella bit her lip, "Okay."

Edward reached out and clasped her cold hand in his, "Thank you, I know that I hurt you, but I hope that you will hear me out."

Bella nodded before she pulled her hand from his and ignored the slightly hurt look on his face, "We'll see what you have to say first."

Edward helped her from the back of the truck and he hurriedly opened the front door for her before he ran around and got in before she changed her mind.

"I'd rather go back to my apartment." Bella said in the silence as Edward started the car.

He swallowed his disappointment and nodded as he quickly drove to the farm. His hope that their arrival would be unnoticed proved fruitless when he saw that the main house was lit up like a Christmas tree and the driveway was filled with cars – he saw Emmett's Jeep, Jasper's cruiser, Alice's Subaru as well as Alistair and Makenna's truck.

_Shit!_

He sighed heavily and muttered under his breath as he spotted his sister-in-laws making a beeline for Bella's door.

"Bella..." he said before her door was wrenched open and Alice glared at him, "I don't care what happened, Edward Cullen, you and your brothers are assholes! Come on sweetie, let's get you inside." She spoke to him and Bella in the same breath and had Bella halfway out the car before Edward's arm reached out to stop them while Rosalie glared at him in the dark.

"Alice! Stop! I need to talk to Bella alone. I promise that I will answer all of your questions, but I need to speak to her first." He was tired, grumpy and way fucking over being bossed about by his sister in law.

He and Alice glared at each other before Bella sighed and spoke quietly, "Alice, I will see you in a while but I want to hear what Edward has to say."

After a narrowed glare from Alice, they were alone once more.

Bella closed the door quietly and turned to him. He noticed that her hands were tightly clenched in her lap and she was sitting as far as possible away from him. Her face was deathly pale in the moonlight.

"Talk to me!" She said.

Edward could feel sweat roll down his back that had nothing to do with the temperature. He knew that this was his last chance and he was petrified that she was going to tell him that it was too much for her.

"Bella, I had no idea that Erin had any ulterior motive when she contacted me. I kind of felt sorry for her, because she seemed lonely. I offered her the job because she begged me to let her stay around. The shit began when I received a call one night from Ned…"

Bella listened to Edward's explanation with shock and disbelief. It was so far from what she had imagined that the overwhelming emotion that she felt was relief. She was relieved that it was over and that he had never harbored any romantic feelings for her but she still had to ask some questions that she knew would haunt her if she didn't know.

She waited until Edward reached the point in his story where he had walked out of the party and she couldn't help but interrupt him.

"I heard you." She said.

Edward frowned, "Heard me?"

"I heard you tell her that our engagement was over." Bella sounded so hurt that it made Edward's heart hurt just to listen to her voice.

"Bella, you have to believe that I never meant it! I never meant _any_ of it! I hated that I was hurting you! I hated myself for having to be nice to her all the while I just wanted to throttle the bitch! I hate myself for, ever having let her in to our lives. If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened and I can't forget that. I almost destroyed my family, my friends, you, this town's reputation… fuck, I almost threw it all away and all because I felt responsible for something that happened years ago!" He sat forward and thumped his head on the steering wheel.

"Did you, um, did you hook up with her?" she asked and she cringed at the needy tone in her voice.

Edward's head shot up and he stared at her with wide, shocked eyes, "What? No! Never! I never touched her like that!"

"What about when she showered in the house?"

"I don't know what the fuck that was about but I took the dogs out as soon as I got off the phone with you and I didn't go back inside until she was dressed and she came looking for me."

Bella could see that he was telling the truth.

"I know that you were sworn to secrecy, or some shit like that, but you have no idea how much you hurt me. You were so cold and indifferent and I was so scared because you just froze me out!" she said as she wiped her eyes angrily and stared out of the window for a moment, trying to get her breathing under control as Edward finished telling her the story.

Finally they were silent.

Edward was devastated. There was nothing more that he could say. There were no excuses. Of course there were extenuating circumstances, but there would never be an excuse that would allow him to hurt Bella. Once again, his over protectiveness had hurt her, when he was trying to keep her from harm, he hurt her the most.

"Isa…" he began, not knowing how he was going to let her go, but Edward knew that he loved her enough not to hurt her anymore.

"Wait!" her voice rang out sharply, which made Edward jump. He turned to face her and was surprised when her small hand reached over to wipe the tears off his cheeks gently. He hadn't even realized that he too was crying.

"We – we have both said and done things that we shouldn't have over the past six weeks. We love each other and yet, at the first sign of trouble, we were ready to rip each other's throats out! I don't know if we are going to get married in ten days time, but I do know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want our life that we have dreamed about for so long. So what I'm saying is this: I think that we both need a couple of days to think things through – just wait..." she put her fingers to cover his mouth when he would have protested.

Edward felt his heart break as he listened to Bella confess that their immediate future was uncertain – what a fool he had been! What had he done?

Bella watched Edward's face fall slack from hurt and disappointment and she knew that she could not hurt him, as much as she really wanted him to hurt in that moment, she knew that he was hurting, that he had been hurting and she could not coldheartedly twist a knife in his chest just for the hell of it.

She put her hand on his chest and felt his heart stuttering and pounding just as hers was.

"I'm not saying 'no' to marrying you, I just think that it's prudent for both of us to step back. I haven't slept in weeks and you look as if you haven't either, so let's start with that. Let's sleep on it and then we can see where we are tomorrow?" she said softly.

Edward's brushed Bella's tears off her cheeks with his thumbs. "You are so brave, Bella. You are the bravest person that I know."

Bella gave a snort, "Not really; I was ready to pack up and leave earlier tonight."

Edward nodded in understanding, "What changed your mind?"

"Your mother."

At his surprised look, Bella laughed shortly, "Yeah, good old Esme. We had a conversation a little while ago and I expressed my fears about you and… her, anyway, your mom said that I must fight for you and I said that I wasn't sure if you wanted me to. Anyway, she told me that it was basically up to me and when I got back here, I thought about it and I realized that I wasn't ready to give you up without a fight," Bella was fidgeting with her fingers as she shrugged self-consciously and looked up at him from beneath her lashes, "So I went back to fight for you."

Edward swallow and he moved forward to put his arms around her and was hurt when she moved towards the door, "We need time." Was all she said as she opened the door and got out.

Edward nodded sadly, "I'll phone you tomorrow morning?"

"Sleep well." Bella said with a half smile that told him that neither of them would be sleeping much that night.

Just before Bella closed the door Edward said her name softly, "Bella?"

She looked up at him expectantly, "Yes?"

Edward leaned over, "I was on my way to find you when I left Alistair's tonight. I was prepared to beg you relentlessly to forgive me."

Edward looked towards his parents' house and he bit back a sigh of frustration when he saw a couple of people peering thought the kitchen window, "Fuck, I suppose that I should go inside."

Bella shook her head, "You go on home and get some sleep. I'll let them know that we can all talk tomorrow evening or something."

"Bella, I can't let you do that." He said even though he had no desire to face his siblings at that moment.

"Of course you can. Edward, this is half of our problem, don't you see? I'm not a child! Yes, I am young and I make mistakes, but I am an adult and I know what I'm doing! If you had come to me when Ned called you, if you hadn't allowed them to railroad you, we could have met this problem head on and none of this would have happened! I know that you are looking out for me, but I don't need a father! I have more than one! I have Carlisle, Garrett, Tex, Vince, Peter as well and Jasper and Emmett, and that's not to mention any of the 'fathers' that I have in this town! So, I don't need you to 'take a bullet' for me, Edward. I need you to love me and honor me and respect me as an intelligent woman."

Bella stepped back from the car and stared at Edward through the open window. They didn't realize that Bella's voice had risen and that several members of his family were standing on the porch listening to her diatribe.

Suddenly Bella was as tired as she could see that Edward was. They were not going to get very far that night.

"Go home, E. Think about what you want, because if you cannot accept me on my terms then we should walk away right now. I will talk to your parents, goodnight." She said quietly.

"Good night, Bella," Edward said quietly as he watched her walk to the main house. He saw his mother reach out to Bella and his heart twisted that while he was glad that she had someone to comfort her, it wasn't him.

He turned the key in the ignition and he turned his truck around and drove home slowly.

That night Edward didn't get any sleep at all. All the anxiety from the past several weeks was gone but the hole in his chest wasn't and the ache kept him up all night, going from room to room. He spent several hours playing his piano and then his guitar. He went for a run with the dogs before dawn and when he came back, he washed all the linen and hung it out to dry along with every towel that he owned.

By seven o'clock there was not a speck of dust in his home. Every box that Bella had brought over in the past weeks had been unpacked, the boxes deconstructed and stored in the attic.

The rocking chair that Charlie had made stood in a corner in the spare bedroom. When Edward and Bella had discussed living in his house, they had agreed that the room that Bella had used would be the perfect nursery for their future children.

Bella had a small office next to the third bedroom upstairs, which was above Edward's own office on the ground floor. He had unpacked all of her books, hung her newly received diplomas and put up the shelves for her awards and keepsakes.

Her mother's journals were set on the antique desk that Edward had found and had repainted, along with office supplies and oddments.

When Edward looked around his house, he saw Bella everywhere. Edward spent the next several hours planning a grid of all of the photographs that Bella had collected. He added her collection to his and after carefully marking the wall on his stairwell; he hung each photograph with painstaking care.

Bella and he had changed the master bedroom some time before and it was less austere, with soft 'Bella' touches everywhere. While it wasn't 'girlie', it was unmistakably a room shared by a man and a woman.

Gone was the dark leather headboard and in its place was an elaborate, yet elegant headboard that had been washed in a pale eggshell blue.

Mismatched lampshades sat on the mismatched lamps on either side of the bed, and a large old fashioned daybed had replaced Edward's old wingback chair in front of the fireplace.

Edward rubbed his chest as he hung the final picture. It was one of his favorites of himself and Bella, caught in a private moment. They were smiling at each other and the love between them was evident to one and all.

He let out a sigh and stretched his cramping back before he put all of his tools away. His stomach growled and Edward remembered that he hadn't eaten since the previous morning and it was late already.

He knew that he should have gone to see his parents or brothers, but he honestly didn't think that he could face anyone.

It was this desire to escape from his nosey neighbors and well meaning family that had him quickly feeding the dogs and himself before he ran upstairs to shower and change into his old jeans, scuffed boots and his leather jacket. His eyes sought out the smaller jacket and helmet of Bella's that hung beside his and he impulsively sent her a text message:

_*Need to clear my head. Going for a ride. We don't have to talk. Join me?* E_

Without waiting for an answer, Edward moved to pick up his helmet just as he phone beeped.

_*Meet you at the end of the driveway in 5 – I'm not very good company tho'!* B_

Edward smiled broadly – at least she wasn't opposed to being in his company.

_*On my way* E_

Four minutes later Edward spotted Bella's figure leaning against the fence. He stopped and held out her jacket and helmet as he took in the tight fitting faded jeans, sneakers and tank top that she was wearing underneath one of his dress shirts that she had knotted at her waist. He licked his lips but he also noticed that she had dark shadows under her eyes.

Bella pushed her sunglasses on to cover her eyes as she gave Edward a tired smile. She pulled her jacket on and swallowed the lump in her throat as Edward gently put her helmet on and fastened it.

"Ready?" Edward's own sad eyes sought hers. Bella bit her lip and nodded, "I really need this, so thanks for thinking of me." She muttered.

Edward reached forward impulsively and brushed a finger over her soft cheek, "I have thought of nothing but you for the past six weeks, Love."

Tears threatened to fall as Edward's pet name for her fell from his lips and Bella tucked her head down as she quickly climbed up behind him.

Edward felt his entire body relax as Bella slid her arms around his waist and held him under his jacket.

He didn't say anything, but he gently laid his hand over where her small hands rested just below his heart for a moment before he flipped his visor down and revved the powerful engine.

=====HS=====

For the first two hours that they rode through the beautiful Vermont countryside, Bella let her mind wonder back to the events of the last few weeks, leading up to their standoff the night before and culminating in her wanting to flee Bluebonnet Farm this morning.

_*Flashback to the previous night*_

_Bella didn't stop to watch Edward drive away, but instead she squared her shoulders as she scrubbed her face free of tears. She took a deep, calming breath as she slowly walked up to the steps where Rosalie, Alice and Emmett were waiting for her._

_She could feel the anger and frustration rolling off Alice and Rosalie in waves as they stared at her. Bella paused one step from the porch and she raised her eyebrows at them._

"_Are you three just going to stand there like the horsemen of the Apocalypse or are you going to let me inside?"_

_Emmett let out a bark of surprised laughter and he swept his arm out in a grand gesture, "Of course, my lady, please come on in."_

_As Bella drew level with him, he was quick to scoop her under his arm as he hugged her to his side protectively, "Do you need a drink or something?" he asked as he led her inside._

_Emmett didn't miss the snort of anger from his wife or the growl from his sister in law, but he threw them a warning look over his shoulder as he turned away._

_They both needed to calm the fuck down, he thought to himself as he deposited Bella in the sitting room where Carlisle, Jasper and Esme were sitting, before he crossed to the bar and poured Bella one of his famous cocktails, a tall glass of Strawberry Basil Margarita, before he poured himself bourbon on the rocks. Emmett was not normally a bourbon drinker, as he much preferred a cold beer, but judging by the looks on everyone's faces, they were all going to need something stronger than a wine cooler or a beer and his invention might look innocuous enough, but there was a third of a bottle of the finest gold tequila and he hoped that everyone would calm the hell down!_

_Rosalie stalked into the room, followed closely by Alice and they glared at the men as they took a seat next to Bella on the long sofa._

_Emmett found it amusing that the four women were sitting together, with Bella in the middle, surrounded by her 'guard dogs'._

_His gaze lit upon Carlisle and at the older man's slight nod, Emmett walked to stand beside his father and they turned to face the room together, forming a subconscious unified front._

_Emmett opened his mouth but Bella interrupted him._

"_No, I want to hear from him!" she spat out as she pointed towards Jasper, who was still wearing his uniform._

_Jasper gave Emmett a nod before he looked at Bella with empathy and calm. Bella felt her blood pressure rise at the sight of him looking so damn cool and collected with hers and Edward's lives were in tatters._

"_Bella – I need to begin with an apology. I am so sorry that you had to be 'collateral damage' in the fall out from this mess," he began in the deep, soothing voice that Bella usually found calming, she suddenly found manipulating and annoying._

_She took a gulp of her drink and was surprised to find that it was empty. Bella got up and poured herself another drink as she took very little notice of Jasper talking. His voice was an irritating buzzing in her ears and after she had finished almost half of her second drink she turned around to face him._

"_You know what, Sheriff? I'm not really interested in why you and the F- B- fucking- I or whoever thought that it would be a good idea to keep this shit from me," she looked around at the distraught faces of the other women before she looked at Carlisle, Emmett and finally Jasper again before she went on, "or any of us, but a week before my fucking wedding? Seriously? Didn't you stop to think even once in the past six weeks how Edward and I were suffering? He is so consumed with guilt and I am so fucking pissed off right now that I just want to flatten your self-righteous ass into next fucking week!"_

_She ignored the few tears that had fallen during her verbal vomiting and let out a long, sad sigh as she looked down to her hand where her engagement ring sparkled like a band of stars. Bella carefully turned and put her glass on the bar counter before she pushed away from it and walked slowly towards the doorway._

_As she passed Esme, the older woman put her hand out and Bella clasped it tightly for a moment as she shared a look with the woman who had become like a mother to her._

"_I'm sorry, May-may," she began but Esme sprang up and pulled her tightly into her arms. Bella could feel Esme's tears against her hair._

"_No, no Child," she whispered as she kissed the top of Bella's head and smoothed her hair back. She looked deep into Bella's eyes and Bella could see the sadness and guilt there._

"_If anything, I'm sorry! Carlisle and I are both so sorry for this Bella. Carlisle knew, as did Emmett eventually, and he told me that there was something going on that he couldn't talk about and I just knew that you were going to be a casualty in all of this! Please, Bells, don't give up on Edward, or us, please my sweet girl, we love you so very much."_

_Bella was suddenly so tired and she let out another sigh before she nodded, "I will never give up on Edward," she said with more conviction than she had realized that she felt. She paused and looked at the family that looked just as sad and anxious as she was feeling and she felt her anger drain away._

_Her eyes sought Jasper's and she recognized the regret and empathy there._

"_I'm sorry Isabella. I never wanted this to happen and I wish with all my heart that I could have kept you all out of it, but we didn't know what the extent of her hatred for Edward was. He didn't want to put you in any danger…" _

_Bella nodded and for the first time she felt a smile tug at her mouth, "Yeah, he is freaky in his over protectiveness. I wonder where he gets that from?" she said as everyone looked from Esme to Carlisle._

_He shrugged and walked over to Bella and quickly slipped an arm around her shoulders as he hugged her to his side._

"_Hey, don't mock the old people, little one!"_

_Bella left a few minutes later of receiving a hug from every member of her family. Even Jasper, although he was hesitant to approach her at first until she gave him an eye role and opened her arms towards him._

"_I'm truly sorry, Bells. Please don't hold this against my brother. Not only will he kick my ass, but he will be emo for the next fifty years!"Bella thought he was talking about Edward until she turned to find Emmett standing to one side looking pouty and miserable._

_She let out a laugh and hugged him as well. She knew that Rosalie, Alice and Esme were going to give the guys a hard enough time as it was._

_Rose and Alice insisted on walking her to the apartment and Alice looked around the almost bare room when Bella turned the lights on._

"_Wow, so you have moved almost all of your stuff to Edward's already?"_

_Bella nodded._

"_Yeah, the only things left are some clothes and my wedding ensemble." She said. "Plus, I still don't know where we are going for our honeymoon; Edward has refused all bribes from me so far."_

_Rosalie and Alice exchanged a look that Bella interpreted and she gasped, "You two know! Oh you little sneaks! How long have you two known?"_

_Rosalie smirked evilly before she put a hand over her sister's mouth with a warning glare, "Do not even think about opening your mouth right now, Pixie! I will tell Mom if you do!"_

_Alice mumbled behind the hand covering her mouth before she let out a muffled 'okay!'_

_Rosalie looked over at Bella, "Oh Sweetie, there is no way that we are spoiling this surprise for you. Edward has spent the past six months working and planning every last detail and all Alice and I did was to help with a few clothing choices, now that is all that I am going to say and Alice here will say nothing at all – right Pixie?"_

_Alice rolled her eyes and elbowed her sister in the side before she let out a huff and nodded, "My lips are sealed, Bells, but believe me when I say that our dearest brother has outdone himself."_

_Bella bit her lip as she felt a smile curve her lips, "Thanks for the support, girls." She said as she felt her throat tighten again._

_Alice and Rosalie didn't hesitate to pull her into a group hug._

"_Bella; we will always have your back. That's what we Cullen's do." Alice said as she sniffed._

_Bella smiled against her soon to be sister's shoulder. In that moment Bella knew that this was going to pass and she was going to marry her Edward and become a Cullen and they would overcome whatever life threw at them._

_She was certain of it._

=====HS=====

_Bella was surprised when sleep didn't come as easily to her as she had thought that it would. The first thing to wake her up were the voices of her friends, Angela, Jessica, Lauren and Makenna as they 'whispered' beneath her window._

"… _but May-May, we need to see that she's okay! The whole county is talking about what happened with that viper!" Lauren's excited voice rose as Bella tried to down out the ear piercing sound._

"_Sssshhhh! She is probably sleeping girls, so run along now and I will tell her that you were asking after her." Esme admonished._

_Bella rolled over and stared at the clock._

_What the fuck!? It was six forty-two! _

_She had only closed her eyes for the last time at around five after spending the night washing every surface in her small apartment. She had polished and buffed the furniture and the last of her personal things were packed. Her clothes were neatly packed in the two suitcases that Edward had given her for that exact purpose and the only thing that hung in her closet was her wedding dress and underwear with her pretty shoes in their special box below it. Her mother's bridal veil was hung next to the dress, covered by a silk sheath._

_Bella groaned as she pushed her hair out of her eyes and stomped over to the open windows and glared down at her friends._

"_Do you mind? Some people are trying to sleep around here; don't you have families to go home to? Move on ladies, the show is over!" she growled before she closed the windows with a slam and to convey the seriousness of her words, she pulled the blinds down and closed the curtains before falling back into her bed._

_After several minutes Bella let out a growl of frustration, no matter how tired she was, sleep just wasn't coming!_

_She swung her legs out of bed and went to take a long shower. She would usually have gone for a run, but she had an idea that the rest of the town would be just as curious as her friends were and the last thing that she wanted was to have to talk to everyone before she had spoken to Edward._

_She showered and let her hair dry naturally as she put on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. She had just finished pulling on her top when she heard a tap at the front door. For a moment her heart sped up and she thought that it was Edward and that he had decided to come over instead of phone, but when she opened the door she felt her face fall and she watched Carlisle and Esme grimace in sympathy when they saw the disappointment on her face._

"_Good morning Sweetheart. I'm sorry if we aren't who you want to see this morning." Esme said quietly as Bella stood to one side and waited for them to walk into the room._

_Bella shrugged as she headed over to pour herself a large mug of coffee. She offered her guests some and they sat in silence as she brought a tray to the small table. Esme opened a basket that Bella had not noticed before and she got three plates from the kitchen as Carlisle set out muffins, a container of berries, thick cream and slices of melon with a large plate of fresh butter._

_In spite of her mood and lack of sleep, Bella found her mouth watering and her tummy rumbled._

_Carlisle's eyes crinkled with mirth as he held the muffins out to her, "We only have nine days to fatten you up, Isabella, so you are going to need to eat more than the smidgen of food that you have been eating."_

_Bella took two large muffins and she slathered them in butter, piled on some of Esme's raspberry jelly and spoon lashings of cream on top as Esme and Carlisle chuckled and helped themselves._

_They didn't talk until Bella had finished two mugs of coffee, and three muffins. She sat back and rubbed her stomach with a groan, "Oh wow, I don't think that I will be able to move again! What a pig!"_

_She looked over to see Carlisle and Esme exchange a look before Carlisle turned to face her, "How are you feeling this morning, Bella? Obviously you didn't sleep much last night and that's completely understandable, but what can we do to help you?"_

_Bella shrugged, "I honestly don't think that there is anything that anyone can do right now. I need time – Edward and I need some time and with the wedding only a week away, there really isn't any time to just take off and process this mess and deal with it. Anyway it's over now so maybe I'm just being over emotional about it and I should just let it go?"_

_Esme leaned forward and took one of Bella's hands in hers, "Absolutely not! This is too important for you to just 'let it go!'. You and Edward need to talk about this, really talk and hash it out. Don't worry about the wedding, Bella. If we have to push it back by a month or two or more, then that's what we will do! You just leave everything to us, sweetie. We are all here for you Bella. Whatever you want to do is what will happen."_

_Bella was shocked, "Wha – do you mean that? Does Edward know what you just said? Does – does he want to end it? Is that why you are here?"Bella thought she was about to faint as Edward's parents quickly assured her that they had not spoken to Edward._

"_Bella, Essie and I spoke about this last night, well early this morning and we just want you to know that we will do whatever you want us to – we are there for both of you and quite frankly we don't think that having a wedding staring you in the face and putting pressure on both of you is a good thing. So, if you decide to postpone your wedding or if you decide to go ahead with it, we will support you. We don't want you to worry about any cost or arrangements or anything!" _

"_Why? Why would you all do this?" Bella whispered._

_Bella could not believe that the Cullen's, hell the town was prepared to let them put their wedding on hold, with all the arrangements and orders for flowers, food, guest room bookings, decorations just so that she and Edward could get their shit together._

_Bella was overwhelmed as Esme leaned forward and patted her hand, "Why? Oh Sweetheart, because we love you so much and you are family and we would do anything for our children – you should know that by now." _

_Then Bella was across the space and she was half sitting on Carlisle's lap as she hugged the two people that she considered to be her parents tightly as they half laughed and they brushed their stray tears away._

"_I love you guys so much. And I'm sorry if we inconvenience you all by putting this off. I'm not sure what we are going to do, but I need to talk to E." Bella said as she knelt in front of them._

_Carlisle nodded, "Take a couple of days and talk it over. I'd like to say take all the time you need, but unfortunately if we need to change flights and accommodation, we need to know…" he said reluctantly._

_Bella nodded, "Of course! Shit, I better phone…" she began but Esme held up her hand._

"_Already done, Bells. Of course, Tex wants to head up a posse to come and string your fiancé up by his short and curlies," she snorted as Carlisle whimpered which made Bella giggle and blush._

"_Anyway, you need to phone Garrett and let him know how you are doing, because he's tried to call you and your phone is off."_

_Bella gasped and she quickly fetched her phone from her bedroom. She had turned it off the previous night and she had forgotten to turn it on again._

_When she returned to the sitting room, she saw that Esme and Carlisle were getting ready to leave._

"_You don't have to go," she said as she watched Esme pack up their impromptu picnic._

"_Yes we do. You need to talk to our son and we need to try and fend off some more of the well meaning busybodies that have either stalked outside your windows or come knocking on our door this morning – damn small town hoodlums!" Esme grumbled._

_Bella laughed, "You only say that when they are irritating you."_

_Esme shrugged, but Bella saw the gleam in her eyes, "Yeah well, they all need to take a step back or else…"_

_Carlisle chose that moment to drop a kiss onto Bella's head before he wrapped an arm around Esme's waist and half lifted her to the front door._

"_Come on, 'Mike Tyson'; let's take you out for the day before you are arrested for disorderly conduct or something. Bella, we will see you later, perhaps?"_

_Bella laughed, "I'm not sure. Thanks for coming over and for your words of wisdom and support."_

_Once they had left, Bella let out a small sigh and she walked over to wash their dishes when her phone rang._

_Her heart began to pound when she saw that it was Edward…_

*End of flashback*

Bella spent the rest of the time just holding onto Edward, feeling his heartbeat under her fingers and breathing the scent of him in. She loved feeling his body so close to hers. She loved the way her thighs hugged his and her centre was pressed against his hard ass.

As they drove on the road, passing fields, riding through mountains, flowing with the road, Bella felt the curls of desire rise up through her chaotic thoughts. She wanted him.

She wanted to feel him take her, claim her, possess her as he hadn't done in a long time. She wanted him to fuck her until there were no thoughts of leaving, or hurting, or walking away.

She wanted him to make her forget that they had ever contemplated leaving each other.

For the first couple of hours, Edward just tried to calm down and clear his mind. Feeling Bella behind him, pressed against him was a blessing and a curse. He could feel her heart beating through his back and the feel of it calmed him but his dick also appreciated the feeling of her heated center pressed against him and after a couple of hours with a hard-on, his jeans were like a vice!

Edward sensed the change in Bella. He felt her breath pick up on the back of his neck. Her small fingers grew restless and when he felt one of her small hands almost absentmindedly slip beneath his T-shirt and begin to slowly brush the fine downy hair on his abdomen, he decided that they both needed a break, before he rolled the damn bike!

He noticed that they had almost reached Burlington and he checked before he slowed down and pulled into a layover on the side of the road.

He noticed that Bella had either not realized what she was doing or she didn't care, but either way, he was ready to take her right there if she didn't stop!

As soon as he had the bike turned off and on it's stand, Edward abruptly climbed off, he tore off his helmet and glasses and spun around and before Bella could do anything, he had put his hands on either side of her. Her startled gaze took in the almost black of his lust filled eyes and her lips parted in a silent 'o'.

"Isabella, unless you want to be taken right here and now, I suggest that you don't rub up against me."

Bella shifted uncomfortably at the sudden flow of moisture at the apex of her jeans as she nodded silently, her eyes wide with shock and more than a little desire.

Edward let out a shaky breath as he pushed away from Bella, not quite ready to trust himself. He turned around and ran his hand through his hair as he looked down the road.

"Do you want to stretch your legs, or shall we carry on into Burlington?"

Bella had also removed her helmet and she put her sunglasses into it as she balanced it on the seat as she swung her leg over.

"Can we just have a five minute stretch? My ass has gone numb." She said as she bent her knees and tried to get some feeling back into her legs.

They were quiet for a few minutes before Bella asked what Edward's plans were for the day.

"Well, I hadn't really given it much thought but seeing as we are in Burlington; would you like to go to that glass factory that you and Mom were talking about the other week?"

Bella smiled, "You mean Church and Maple®?" she asked excitedly.

Edward flashed his crooked smile, "Yep. I thought that we could order 'thank you' gifts for the couples while we are there. What do you think?"

Bella nodded, although Edward noticed that her smile had dimmed a little when he mentioned the wedding. "That's a great idea, Edward. I know that they will appreciate the thought." She said quietly before she turned back to the bike and she put her glasses and helmet on again, effectively cutting their communication short and putting up a not so subtle barrier.

Edward bit back the bitter comment that was just aching to be said, as he swiftly reminded himself that this was his doing. It was his fault that they were in this place because if only he had spoken up sooner or refused to the stupid cloak of silence, none of this heartache would have happened. But as he got back on the bike and started the engine, he could not stop the thought that if keeping silent had kept Bella safe, then he would do it again.

Edward parked in downtown Burlington and he locked their helmets and jackets in the compartment under his seat, before he and Bella took a stroll through the crowds that were all enjoying the summer's day as they strolled through the picturesque Church Street Marketplace.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, they agreed to stop and eat at one of the many sidewalk cafés.

Edward purposefully kept their conversation light as they ate. Bella felt more relaxed once their meal was over and they were finishing their drinks.

She could feel Edward's intense gaze upon her but even though she had felt uneasy at first, she had begun to relax as a little of their easygoing conversation and Edward's light bantering helped to ease her nerves.

He looked at his watch, "Should we get going? The next tour begins shortly if you still want to see the actual glass blowing."

Bella nodded and she went to the bathroom while Edward settled the bill.

When she joined him outside, he automatically took hold of her hand and Bella stiffened for a moment before she gave his fingers a squeeze and Edward felt her shoulder brush against him as she moved slightly closer to his side.

He didn't comment but when Bella dared to look at him, she saw the slight smile on his lips and she knew that she was sporting a similar one.

She knew that they weren't out of the woods by a long shot, but it felt right to be with Edward like this and she just wanted one day of not having to think or over think things.

They both loved the glassblowing exhibition and once they walked into the shop, they picked out beautifully crafted fine colored glass bowls for each of their wedding party couples, and a hand crafted large pitcher from the company's 'mosaic' collection for his parents.

Afterwards they wondered around the town some more until Edward suggested an early dinner, which Bella readily agreed to.

Dinner was followed by a quick trip to the bike to collect their jackets before they strolled along the waterfront. Bella was amazed at how much they just talked about everything except the elephant in the room.

Finally Edward walked over to a bench that overlooked the water and he sat down and tugged Bella's hand gently.

She shivered slightly from the cold and nerves and Edward pulled her closer to his side as he sent out a silent prayer and he took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry that I shut you out. I'm sorry that I hurt you when I promised that I would never hurt you like that again. Please believe me, it wasn't my choice. I'm not saying that I'm not to blame, because I totally am, but it was so hard to make a conscious decision to keep you in the dark about the shit that was going on." Edward lifted their tightly clasped hands to his mouth as he kissed the back of her hand gently before he went on.

"At first I just thought that she was a little lost, you know, trying to find some sort of closure and to be honest, I felt guilty, you know, like it was partly my fault that she really didn't have anyone, but then Ned discovered that there were drugs missing and he didn't want to believe that I was stealing them, but I was the person signing in for them; and it was my thumb print identity on the scanner! He knew what he had to do, but he was thorough and contacted Jasper. They contacted the DEA and they began their investigation. They were only allowed to pull me into their confidence once I had been cleared. By that time, they knew that Erin had pulled Kyle into her scheme but they thought that it was about the drugs and money and not the fact that she was deadly serious about extracting revenge on me."

Bella tried to keep her tears at bay but when a sob broke through her silence, Edward muttered a curse and pulled her into his lap as Bella wound her arms around his neck and let the tears fall. Edward buried his face in her hair as he rocked her quietly. He could feel Bella's heartache and hurt and she held him tightly and he felt his own tears burn his eyes.

"It's okay, Darling, I've got you. I've got you." He crooned.

Bella felt all the weeks of worry, hurt, anger and suspicion overwhelm her as she lay in Edward's embrace. After a while the storm passed and she listened to the steady beat of his heart as she quietened down and grew calmer.

Finally, Edward felt Bella shift and she sat up, but she just turned to face the water and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I knew, I know that you love me and after everything, I didn't think that you would just be unfaithful to me, but at the same time, you became so secretive and you avoided me and any contact with me and on top of that, we had decided not to have sex until our wedding night and it was just… too much." She turned around and looked at him.

"I kept thinking back to our sessions with Pastor Craig and how he said that sometimes love just isn't enough. Sometimes, it takes-"

"Blood, sweat and tears!" they finished together and their soft laughter was caught in the night breeze. Bella shivered again but she didn't want to leave. She felt that they were just beginning to really talk and she was reluctant to break their bond.

Edward traced her smile as he stared at her, "You are cold, Love, we should go."

Bella shook her head quickly, "No! I mean, I would really like to stay, maybe? And talk? I know if we go back, we are going to be inundated with well meaning friends and family all wanting to know what's going on!" Bella shook her head as she looked down into her lap, "We just need time to breath, you know?" she said more to herself but Edward heard her.

He was happy that she wanted to spend time with him, but he also knew that they would have to find a place quickly as Burlington was a very popular tourist attraction and rooms could be difficult to come by. Luckily, Edward had a friend that ran a bed and breakfast and he quickly found his number and called him.

His friend wasn't able to accommodate them, but he pulled some strings and soon Edward and Bella were riding up to the Double Tree Hotel after stopping at a mall where they bought underwear, T-shirts and toiletries.

Bella felt a little naughty as Edward signed them in while she sent a text message off to Esme. She knew that the family would be worried about her and Edward but she really didn't want to have to explain their little adventure.

"Ready, Love?" Edward walked over to where Bella was sitting.

She looked up with a smile as they walked to the stairs that led to their room.

"Is it okay that I got a double room? I didn't think about it but if you are uncomfortable we can get another room with two beds or I can take the sofa?" Edward mumbled nervously as they stood in the doorway of the room.

Bella could feel her cheeks growing pink and warm as she stared at the bed. It had been so long since there had been any sort of intimacy between them, that Bella felt nervous.

She shrugged and hid her face with her hair as she moved into the room.

"It's fine Edward, really." She said as she put the back-pack down that they had bought to pack their purchases in and walked over to the window.

The room was a standard hotel room, with a pull out sofa against one wall and view of the courtyard from the window. There was a small balcony with a sliding door to one side of the window and Bella opened the door and stepped outside.

She could hear Edward moving around behind her, but she was busy trying to calm herself down! Seeing Edward in such close proximity to a bed, any bed just got her juices flowing! She giggled and that's when Edward stepped out on the balcony behind her.

"What are you giggling about here, Love?" he said next to her ear.

Bella squeaked and jumped in fright and mortification. She could feel her neck and face flame up with embarrassment and she pressed her fingers against her face.

"Nothing," she said but when Edward moved to stand in front of her, she could help but let out another giggle.

Edward's eyebrow shot up and he looked at her with a teasing smile on his devilishly handsome face, "I somehow don't think that it's 'nothing', sweetheart, hmm?"

Bella shook her head as she put her hand on his chest and pushed him away slightly, "You know exactly what you are doing Edward Cullen, so just put that ego of yours in its cage!"

Edward caught her hand and held it on his chest, over where his heart was beating quickly with excitement and desire.

He watched as Bella's eyes widened when she realized that he was just as excited as she was to be alone.

Suddenly he dropped his teasing and stared down at her intently, "Isabella, you are the only woman that I have ever met that can make me feel like a dizzy, star struck school boy. There has never been anyone else and there won't ever be – you are it for me – you are everything to me. _You. Are. My. Life_."

Bella realized that she had stopped breathing and she filled her burning lungs with air.

"You dazzle me." She said when he looked at her in concern.

"I do?"

Bella wanted to role her eyes but she could see that he was serious.

"You do. Frequently! You dazzle me, Edward Cullen. You take my breath away. Sometimes I just can't think clearly around you." She whispered as she stared into his impossibly green eyes.

Edward frowned and he looked sad as he stepped away from her and turned towards the bedroom.

"Edward," she couldn't let him think that there was no hope.

He stopped and looked back at her.

"Yeah?"

"It's not always a bad thing, you know. To be dazzled? It's a – heady feeling, but we do still need to talk, okay?"

Edward searched her face and he was pleased that she didn't look as broken as she had been.

He nodded.

"I'm going to get us some drinks and snacks. Why don't you take a shower and change?"

Bella agreed and she relaxed under the warm spray as she washed and conditioned her hair before washing her body and climbing out. She wrapped her hair in a towel and dried her body before she realized that she had forgotten her clothes on the bed.

She opened the door quietly only to find Edward sprawled across the bed, watching some show on the flat screen.

Bella shuffled out self consciously and she whipped the pink and black tartan boxers and pink tank top off the bed and bolted back into the bathroom.

She was sure that she heard Edward chuckle but when she emerged, he gave no indication of his amusement.

"Um, the bathroom's free." She said unnecessarily.

Edward gave her a friendly smile as he walked passed her, picking up his own black boxers and grey sleeveless top and seconds later, she heard the water running.

She walked over to the small dinette table and saw that Edward had bought a couple of sandwiches, a small bottle of wine and a couple of beers.

Once Edward was out the shower and dressed, he gave his hair a quick towel dry and joined Bella at the table.

Bella sipped her glass of wine, while he took a long swig of his beer as they looked at each other.

Finally Bella spoke.

"Have you thought about what I said last night?"

"Honestly, I've thought of little else."

"So then, the question is: are you going to try and let me be an adult and are you going to allow me to make my own decisions about what is or isn't best for me? Are you going to let me make my own mistakes?" Bella asked with determination.

Edward pursed his lips, "Isabella…" he stopped and stared at her for a moment before he let out a soft sigh, "I do trust you. I trust your judgment but when it comes to protecting you, well, I'm sorry but I will do everything in my power to keep you from harm."

Bella huffed in annoyance but when she opened her mouth to speak he held up a hand, "Just let me finish, please."

She sat back and gave him a stiff nod.

Edward stared at the table for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He knew how important it was that there was no misunderstanding between them.

"You are one of the most intelligent women that I have ever met and I'm not just saying that. There was a threat, yes, a veiled one, but it was there and we, all of us, agreed to keep you women out of it – for your own safety. I wanted to tell you, baby, I really did! But there was no way that I was going to run the risk of involving you in this thing that was hanging over me! I knew that you would rip that bitch apart if you found out and I wanted her out of our lives for good! Can you understand that?" Bella could see that Edward was being completely honest with her. He had not seen her as inferior or unworthy, but he had wanted to protect her – just as Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle had done for their wives.

Bella felt the heavy mantel of anger; hurt and mistrust slowly loosen from around her shoulders as Edward's reasoning became clearer.

"I do understand wanting to protect the person that you love. I want to protect you that way as well. But Edward, you need to trust me as well and you need to let me in to your life. I felt neglected before Erin began stealing the drugs. I felt neglected from when she got here and you became too busy to make any time for me!"

Edward opened his mouth to speak but Bella shook her head, "I don't want to hear excuses, right now! I know that what happed to her sister is something that you have to live with, but please, don't make me pay for mistakes that were made years ago! I love you and I want to be with you, but you need to put us first. Our relationship, our marriage, our life has to be you number one priority!"

Edward nodded, "I promise that whatever else happens, I will not keep any secrets from you again. I will not run, or close myself off from you physically, emotionally or mentally. If I begin to slip, will you promise to slap me around until I snap out of it?"

Bella snorted, "I will just set Garrett and the boys on you!"

Edward's eyes grew huge, "oh fuck! They are going to kill me!"

Bella laughed at the look of fear on his face, "You should be scared, but don't worry, I spoke to Garrett and he verified your story with his buddies in the DEA, so although they are pissed that you hurt my feelings, they kind of forgive you."

"They checked up on my story?" Edward asked.

Bella shrugged, "They are very protective over me." She said.

Edward nodded solemnly, "I understand how they feel. Do you think that you will ever forgive me?" For a few minutes there was silence before Bella moved her hand across the small table and turned it palm up towards him.

Edward's eyes widened in surprise slightly as he looked from her hand to her face. His heart skipped a beat at her expression.

He saw her love and forgiveness shining in her warm chocolate eyes, "I forgive you, Edward and I love you." She said as she took his hand in hers.

His hand reached out and grasped hers.

"Oh Bella! Thank God!" he gushed as he almost dove across the small space with such force that he pulled Bella out of her seat and she tumbled on top of him.

Suddenly they were toe-to-toe and hip to hip. Their breathing was labored as Bella lay on his chest and they grinned at each other.

"I love you." He whispered as he blinked back his own tears and reached up to kiss her lips softly.

"I love you." She responded as she let her legs curve around his hips and her mouth granted him entrance.

Only their breathing, softly spoken utterances and the muted sound of the television was heard for a while until Bella pulled back to sit up.

Edward's heavy lidded eyes followed her movements but when she pulled her top off in one smooth motion, he sat up abruptly.

"Whoa! What are you doing?"

"I don't want to wait. I need you." Bella said as she pulled his hands to cover her breasts. Edward groaned loudly as he felt her hardened nipples beneath his fingertips.

It took everything in him to force his fingers not to pinch and twist those sweet buds but he finally looked up into her dark eyes.

"Baby no, we agreed. We said that we would wait. It's only a few more days. Come on, Love."

Bella glared at him in frustration.

"I'm tired of waiting! This is the problem, right here. If we were having sex, then she would never have come between us! We would have spoken and we would have made an informed decision but no! You wanted to wait! Wait for what? I need you, Edward. I need to feel you inside me. I need to feel you fill me up and possess me. I need to know that you still want me."

Edward's internal battle lasted all of twenty seconds. As he stared into her eyes, he saw her need and he knew that it was as powerful as his own.

Bella watched as his gaze softened and his eyes darkened with desire and a need that matched her own.

"Bella…" he whispered as his fingers finally moved over her flesh.

Bella felt her eyes role back as his short nails dragged gently across her puckered nipples.

"Oh… God! Edward!" she cried out as he pinched each bud before lowering his mouth and he took one into his mouth, only to suck and nibble as he paid homage to the other one with his fingers.

For long minutes he worshiped her breasts, until Bella was panting and writhing on his lap, she could feel how close she was to cumming as his slight beard scratched against her skin.

"Oh, oh, oh… please, please, baby, please."

Edward lifted his head, "What do you want, Love? Tell me."

Bella's reached up and gripped his biceps, her nails dug into the skin but Edward didn't flinch.

"Fuck me Edward! Take me! I want it all, I need your cock inside me!" she almost growled with a feral look in her eyes.

Bella watched as Edward's eyes turned black with lust. His cheeks were pinched and she felt almost fearful of the predatory look in his eyes.

Almost.

Edward stood up and gave her a gentle push towards the bed. Bella felt it behind her knees and she fell back with abandon.

The time for shyness was over. They both needed this, _this mating. This coupling_.

Bella knew that it was not going to be slow or gentle and her skin tingled in anticipation.

She pushed the boxers down her hips laid before him like an offering, with her legs spread out and her arms above her head in silent surrender.

Edward could smell her desire. He could see the slick wetness between her plump lips. Her clit was swollen and quivered as she breathed hard and he knew that it was going to take every ounce of self-control not to be a complete savage.

There was something primal surging in his blood. He had to have her, possess her.

He almost ripped the shirt off his body as he stepped out of his boxers.

His cock was thick and swollen and he smirked at her as he coated his palm in his precum and pumped his pulsing cock slowly.

Bella let out a growl of frustration as she glared up at him.

"Mine!" she spat out.

Edward let out a laugh of triumph and then suddenly he was there, over her, his cock nudging her entrance.

"Mine!" He said with absolute conviction as he pushed forward.

Bella arched her back as she felt him fill her and when he was seated all the way inside of her, they both paused, allowing the moment of their joining to wash over them.

Edward brushed Bella's wild curls off her face as they stared at each other, "Yours, Isabella, always yours."

Bella felt a thrill at his words and she smiled up at him, "Always yours!" she echoed.

"Now fuck me, Edward." She urged.

Edward needed no second invitation as he pulled back until they were almost separated and then he plunged back inside her.

He set a fast pace. This was possession in its purest form. This was taking and having and owning. This was conquering and pillaging and it was completely mutual.

As much as he took as he pistoned into her heat, Bella took as she squeezed his cock with her muscles, knowing that she held him on the brink of his orgasm just as he controlled hers.

They lost track of time and place which became evident when Bella rolled them over only to flip them onto the floor.

A bark of laughter and a rubbed head and they continued.

Bella didn't know how many times they came together during the night, but all she knew was that it didn't seem to be enough. She felt him kiss the back of her shoulder blades and she was ready for him again, pushing up onto her knees, spreading out her legs for him as he pulled her hair and slapped her ass lightly.

As Edward pinched her clit, Bella's muscled tightened around him and her climax milked him as he came longer than the previous four times.

For the moment, they were sated as Edward pulled Bella against his sweaty chest and he flung a leg over both of hers.

"Yours." He whispered.

Bella let out a tired chuckle.

"Yours."

=====HS=====

Bella tried to stretch the next morning and she let out a grumble. An arm and a leg pinned her down and she was hot, thirsty and stiff!

She felt her mouth curve into a grin as the night and early morning flooded her mind. Five times they had come together. Bella felt as if she had run a twenty-mile race! Her arms, legs and hips felt achy and stiff and Bella tried to bite back a laugh as she felt how her stomach muscles gave a twinge.

And here she had thought that her running kept her fit, but obviously she was using muscles that had not been used in a long time. Six months was a long damn time!

Bella finally managed to wiggle free of Edward's possessive grip and she bit back a moan of discomfort as she walked into the adjoining bathroom and quietly closed the door.

She sat on the cool toilet seat and propped her head on her hands. She knew that she and Edward and probably the entire family needed to talk about everything that had happened, but for the moment she was content that they were in a good place.

Bella turned the shower on and spent a few moments enjoying the warm spray against her stiff muscles as she relived some of the more heated moments from the night before.

She was so lost in thought that when she felt the warm body press against her back, she let out a small 'eek!', which made Edward chuckle darkly.

"Who did you think it was, Love?" he said in a voice that was still hoarse with sleep.

Bella giggled and relaxed against him. She could feel his morning wood pressing against the small of her back and could not believe when she felt echoing moisture between her aching thighs.

"I thought that you could be a lumberjack with that huge 'log' that you are sporting there Champ!"

Edward let out a bark of laughter and wrapped his arms around Bella's waist as he rubbed himself against her, "Feel like chopping some wood, baby?" He whispered into her ear darkly.

Bella whimpered as her knees weakened, "Fuck, you are such a turn-on, Doctor Cullen." She said as she moved to turn around but he held her firmly and walked forward.

"Put your hands on the wall." He urged.

Bella was almost panting with need as she did as he asked. Edward smacked her ass lightly, "Open your legs for me, Bella."

Bella needed no second bidding. As soon as she was ready, she felt him run his tip through her wetness.

"God, you are so ready for me, aren't you, Love?" he muttered.

Bella wiggled her ass in response and her laugh turned into a grunt as he pushed through her tender flesh until his balls slapped against her.

Edward used one hand to grip Bella's hip and his other pinched her taut nipples. His mouth sucked and kissed her neck and shoulders.

"More! Harder!" were the only words that Bella could utter.

Edward felt his blood rush through his body at her words. He had been more than anxious at how their conversation would go the night before and he had been double minded about making love to Bella.

He hadn't wanted to confuse either of them with sex. His intention had been to make sure that Bella was able to make an informed and levelheaded decision but when she had practically begged him to make love to her, or 'fuck' her; he hadn't been able to resist.

Once the dam had broken, of course he had not been able to stem the tide of his desire for her and they had reached for each other over and over again. In between their lovemaking, they had talked about everything and Edward knew that while Bella understood his reasoning and appreciated his protectiveness, she was still hurt and bruised by his cold and distant behavior.

Edward felt Bella's muscles begin to flutter around him and with a few more strokes and a pinch of her clit they came together with a force that left them both weak and sated.

Over breakfast, Edward asked Bella about something that he had been thinking about for a while.

"Bella, would you be willing to go to a counseling session with Pastor Craig when we get home?"

Bella put her glass of juice on the table and looked across at him, "That's a good idea, but can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you suggesting this because you think that it's what I want?"

Edward shook his head, "No, I just think that if we are going to walk down the aisle in a week's time, then we need to make sure that we are doing so with one hundred percent certainty and peace of mind. I don't want you to have any doubts or fears, Love."

Bella reached across the table and put her hand over his, "I am one hundred percent sure that I want to become Missus Edward Cullen on the ninth of June. I know that you love me and I know that you only did what you did because of that love. I forgive you, Edward."

Edward held her hand and leaned across the small space to kiss her lips.

"I love you." He said as he sat back in his chair and pulled out his phone.

=====HS=====

Edward rode straight to the minister's house for their impromptu appointment. Of course by that time, Craig and Betty knew all about what had happed in the village.

The local press and television station had flooded the small town and there even a few national stations that had taken an interest, but the Cullen's had no reason to be concerned.

Hope Springs closed ranks against the media storm. From the diner to the petrol station to the post office and fruit market, they received no information whatsoever and everyone made the same suggestion: "Contact Police Chief Jasper Cullen."

Craig ushered Edward and Bella into his office, where Betty had prepared a large pot of coffee.

Once they had their cups in front of them, Craig wasted no time in getting to the heart of the reason that they were there.

"So, you two have had quite the week! Have you had a chance to hash things out?" he asked smiling calmly.

Edward and Bella shared a look and Bella took a deep breath.

"Yes we have. I was really hurt by what had happened because I thought that it was more personal than Erin stealing drugs and trying to destroy Edward's career, and I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not still upset, but I don't blame Edward." She said quietly.

Craig nodded and looked at Edward, "How are you doing?"

Edward squeezed Bella's hand, "Okay, I guess. I was more terrified of losing Bella than I was at being thrown into jail during the past few weeks. I hated the distance that I had put between us but I couldn't seem to stop myself. I was so afraid that if I softened towards her, then I was going to just crumble and I would have told her everything and I knew that that was not an option because it could be putting Bella at risk."

Craig nodded again even as he grimaced in sympathy, "I spoke to Carlisle yesterday morning, which led to a family counseling session yesterday afternoon with your parents and your siblings. Everyone was struggling with the same thing. Esme, Alice and Rose are really upset and angry at being kept in the dark about what was going on, while the men feel bad about the deception but not about why they did it." They shared a chuckle as Bella and Edward imaged what that meeting must have been like.

After a moment Craig spoke again, "Bella, all I can say is that some men and particularly the Cullen men have a deep sense of protectiveness and chivalry, which is the way that it should be but unfortunately it is a dying trait. Edward's deep-seated desire or need to protect you at all costs, even if it meant driving you away overcame his desire to keep you to himself. That's hard to understand, but if Carlisle is anything to go by, then you are just going to have to accept that there may be times in your relationship when Edward takes the lead without consulting you."

He let that sink in before he carried on, "Now that's not to say that you can just ride roughshod all over Bella's feelings and opinions, because I hope that she will kick your behind if you do that." Bella snorted as Edward rolled his eyes.

Craig's expression turned serious, "Marriage is a partnership – absolutely and without a doubt. The flip side to this is that as the man, Edward, you may need to make decisions that will not sit well with Bella at times, and Bella as Edward's wife and partner, you may need to accept not getting your own way sometimes. However, Edward as Bella's husband, you are commissioned by God to love Bella and to honor her in all things. You must put her first in your heart and mind."

Edward nodded solemnly. Craig turned to Bella, "Isabella, your are Edward's partner – equal and worthy and as such you are commissioned to love, honor and respect that your husband will have your best interests at heart as he makes informed decisions."

"I said informed decisions, because if there is one thing that I have learned as a married man, it is to listen to my wife. God gave women wisdom for a reason: they hear and see and sense things that us 'in the moment' men don't. So Edward, listen to your wife. Really take the time to learn her verbal and non-verbal signals. Take cognizance of what she says and if you ask her for her opinion, then you need to take it into account when you make a decision that she may not agree with. Bella have patience with Edward. Understand that he makes mistakes, but his intentions are good. Women are insightful and intuitive and so a smart man is one that uses his wife's gifts at his advantage."

After that the three talked about the coming week and the relatively small rehearsal dinner that coming Friday that was being held at '_La Bella Vita'. _Arturo and Maria had offered their restaurant for the occasion as a wedding gift to Edward and Bella. Arturo had argued that he was going to be busy with the preparations for the reception that he was co-catering with Alistair. They had cleverly combined their talents and had come up with a mouthwatering menu of Antipasto, pasta, seafood and a spit roast barbeque that met with everyone's approval. The desserts were being prepared by Sue Black and Vinnie Youngblood, Nessie's mother.

Felix Youngblood, Billy and Jake Black and several other locals were spending the day before the wedding putting the small dance floor together, hanging the lights and decorating the meadow with Alice and Rosalie supervising.

As they stood to leave, Craig reminded them of their task of writing their own wedding vows and they promised to get the final drafts to him by the middle of the week.

After Edward had parked the bike back in the garage, and he had collected the two dogs from his neighbors, the Copes, he and Bella changed into their running gear and they took the dogs for a long run on the common before they headed back to Edward's house. Bella was thrilled and touched by all of the changes that Edward had made to his home to ensure that the house felt like their home and not just his.

Bella looked around the rooms on the ground floor. Her touch was everywhere. From the photographs on the walls to the pretty afghan of her mother's that lay on the back of the sofa to the rug that she had bought that now lay on the den's floor.

"When did you have a chance to do all of this?" she asked.

Edward smiled and shrugged, "I didn't really sleep the night that everything went down, so I decided that if you were going to walk out of my life, I was going to make it as inconvenient for you as possible and you were going to have to repack all of your stuff."

Bella hugged him and kissed his cheek, "You are so sneaky Doctor Cullen, but I love it. Thank you."

Edward kissed the top of her head, "I needed to see your things around me." He confessed quietly.

After sharing a slow, gut wrenching kiss, they made their way upstairs. Edward opened the nursery door and Bella smiled when she saw Charlie's rocking chair and Renee's quilt folded over the back of it.

"I reckon that our baby will need a place where he or she nurses at your breast and it might get cold at night." He said.

Bella smiled as she felt a thrill at his words and she let out a contented sigh, "I like the sound of that. Our baby." She pulled away so that she could look at him, "How long do you want to wait before we have a family?" she asked.

During their premarital counseling, Craig had urged them to talk about when they wanted to begin a family so that they were both on the same page.

Edward didn't answer straight away, but he moved them into the master bedroom.

Bella exclaimed at the changes that he had made and she spent several minutes exploring. She grinned at the large walk in closet that was filled with her clothes. She remembered how little she had owned when she had first come to Hope Springs and now she had boxes of possessions, books and tons of clothing!

"What are you smiling about?" Edward asked from behind her.

She turned around to see that he was sitting on the plush sofa that stood in front of the fireplace. He held out a hand and Bella kicked off her shoes before she joined him, as she leaned into his side and curled her feet beneath her.

"I was just thinking about when I first came to Hope Springs and how everything that I owned in the world was in my little backpack and now, it took a U-Haul to get my stuff here!"

"I'm so glad that you met Billy in Flagstaff that night."

Bella nodded, "I'm just glad that I put the wrong gas into my car!"

"Hey! Have you heard from Pat? Last thing Mom told me was that he wasn't sure if he could make it." Edward said.

Bella nodded, "Yeah, he's arriving on Thursday and he is staying with Billy and Sue, although I'm not sure how he is going to cope with having a baby in the house."

Edward laughed, "Yeah, it's so funny to see Sue and Nessie when they bring their babies in for antenatal checkups together."

Bella snorted, "What's even funnier is that their grandson is older than their daughter! Just imagine what's going to happen when they get to school and try and do their family tree!"

Later that night as they lay in each other's arms, Bella realized that Edward hadn't answered her question, "Babe?"

"Hmm?"

Bella turned over in the dark and tried to see Edward's expression, "You didn't say when you want to have children."

Edward opened his eyes, "That's because it depends on you, my love. If you were to tell me that you were pregnant right now, I would be the happiest man on this earth. I know that it's selfish of me, but I want everything with you right now. You have worked so hard to get your degree and you have a great job, so I'm not going to put any pressure on you to commit to starting a family."

He reached up and pulled Bella so close that their noses were almost touching, "When you feel that the time is right, you will tell me." He said before he kissed her soundly effectively ending their discussion for the moment. Edward had given Bella a lot to think about, but she pushed the thoughts and visions of bronze haired babies.

They had a wedding to go to first.

**A/N: Wedding bells up next – promise!**

**Now I know that some of you were really pissed off with Edward and I for the last chapter and I have no doubt that some of you are going to think that I let him and the rest of the Cullen men off lightly. *shrugs* what can I say? I have never written a perfect Edward that never makes mistakes and even though he was an idiot, his underlining motivation was love. I am a total romantic at heart and so, whatever else, my Edwards and Bellas will always forgive and forget – even thought RL doesn't work that way. But this is FF and so thank heavens I don't have to follow the rules!**

**For those of my readers who sent me flames and insults under the protective umbrella of anonymous review – I say this: If you can't sign in to send a flaming review, then don't review at all! I love the honesty and I really think that with the comments and suggestions from readers, I have become a better writer, but I refuse to take the anon. flamers seriously! So, 'put up or shut up'.**

**Thanks for your love and support and just a heads up on A Family Like Ours – yes, I am fleshing out the summery plot, I have visions of all of the characters and I am getting excited! Not long to go, my loves.**

**Michele xoxo**


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of **Hope Springs** is mine.

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**At the end of chapter 35 – **_

_**Later that night as they lay in each other's arms, Bella realized that Edward hadn't answered her question, "Babe?"**_

"_**Hmm?"**_

_**Bella turned over in the dark and tried to see Edward's expression, "You didn't say when you want to have children."**_

_**Edward opened his eyes, "That's because it depends on you, my love. If you were to tell me that you were pregnant right now, I would be the happiest man on this earth. I know that it's selfish of me, but I want everything with you right now. You have worked so hard to get your degree and you have a great job, so I'm not going to put any pressure on you to commit to starting a family."**_

_**He reached up and pulled Bella so close that their noses were almost touching, "when you feel that the time is right, you will tell me." He said before he kissed her soundly effectively ending their discussion for the moment. Edward had given Bella a lot to think about, but she pushed the thoughts and visions of bronze haired babies.**_

_**They had a wedding to get ready for first!**_

**CHAPTER 36 – "Going to the chapel and we're…" (Or are we?)**

=====HS=====

The rest of the week seemed to fly by. Garrett, Pete and the rest of the 'Phoenix family' arrived three days before the wedding, while Brandon and Megan Hale arrived just the morning before they said their nuptials.

There was a tense moment when Garrett and Peter called Edward to meet with him in private. Bella was afraid they were going to hurt him, but Esme just reassured her that this is what 'fathers' did and that she should be happy that they were looking out for her.

Edward was a little nervous as he sat in a corner of Alistair's, sipping on a beer.

Garrett, Peter and Tex made their way across the room and Edward felt sweat run down his spine.

"Edward," Garrett said, while Peter and Tex just stared blankly at him with their arms folded over their chests.

"Hi," Edward said as he stood and put his hand out. Garrett shook his hand before Tex growled quietly under his breath and he gripped Edward's hand until Edward felt his knees begin to give way from the pain.

"Tex! Knock it off!" Garrett barked.

Tex sneered at Edward and released his hand before he sat down.

Peter didn't take Edward's hand, instead he sat down and grinned at Edward and he was certain that Peter muttered something about 'pussy' under his breath.

Garrett ignored them both as he ordered three beers from Alistair.

"Are you and Bella all ready for Saturday?" Garrett asked.

Edward nodded, "Yeah, well our friends and my family have organized everything so we just really have to show up."

Tex sneered at Edward, "You're a lucky sonofabitch if we will let you walk down the aisle, you asshole!"

Edward swallowed loudly. He couldn't help it, Tex looked like he ate people for breakfast!

Peter laughed while Garrett snapped at them to shut up.

"Look, Edward, regardless of what these two say, I didn't come here to beat the tar out of you, even if we think that you may deserve it," he looked at his two companions in silent warning.

"Having said that, you did hurt Bella. Just because we don't live here, doesn't mean that we will not get onto a plane if there is ever a next time and we will beat the crap out of you. This is your first and final warning. That young woman is very precious to us and this is no less than Charlie would have done, had he still been alive."

Edward nodded. He could see that Garrett spoke the truth – if there was a 'next time', he would have some damage or broken bones.

Peter spoke up, "Yeah kid, don't forget, we are licensed to carry guns and they will never find the body."

Edward felt the blood drain from his face as he stared in Peter's ice cold glare. After a few tense seconds, Pete and Tex burst into laughter, "Just fuckin' with you, Kid. Don't worry about it."

Edward sagged in relief until Tex stopped laughing suddenly and looked at him, "Don't hurt her again or you will regret it." He said quietly.

Edward drained his beer with a shaky hand.

Even though he had vowed to Bella to always be honest with her, he knew that he would never forget the not so veiled threats of her self-appointed guardians.

If he was ever tempted to run roughshod over her feelings again, the look in Tex and Peter's eyes would be enough to deter him!

=====HS=====

Esme, Alice, Rosalie and Makenna ran the organizing of the wedding, reception and rehearsal with military precision, which thankfully left Edward and Bella with little to do except to give their opinion or nod in agreement.

Before Bella knew it she and Edward were arriving at '_La Bella Vita' _to the sound of applause and catcalls.

The night was filled with laughter, jokes and touching speeches. Edward drove Bella to his parent's home, where she would be spending the night in his old bedroom with his mother, sisters and nieces, while he stayed with Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle and his nephews. The only male allowed in the Cullen farm house was Dylan, Alice and Jasper's toddler.

Edward walked her to the front door. They could hear the excited voices and laughter coming from inside the house. He turned Bella into his arms as he looped his arms around her and kissed her nose.

"Just one night, and then we will be together for the next month." Edward sighed.

Bella pressed closer, "I can't wait although I still think that it's mean for you not to tell me where we are going. How will I know what to pack?"

Edward chuckled as he tapped her nose with one finger, "Oh no you don't. We have been over this. Everything is arranged and packed – or at least it will be by tomorrow night. We are spending the night at the house, seeing as it will be too late to drive and then we will head to the airport on Sunday morning and all you need to bring is your passport." He whispered against her lips.

Bella wanted to act as if she was angry but truthfully, she was so excited that they were actually leaving the country that she really didn't care where they were going.

Just as Edward leaned forward to deepen their kiss, the front door opened and they jumped apart when they heard Esme's voice, "Edward Cullen! Unhand that poor girl! Unless you are performing a tonsillectomy, using a new technique!"

Edward scowled at his mother as she and his sisters peeped over her shoulder and cackled.

Bella tried to hide her laughter but when she heard Edward mumble something about 'The witches of Eastwick' she burst out laughing.

He huffed and pressed a quick peck to her cheek as he ran down the stairs to his car.

"Edward!" Bella's voice rang out.

He spun around but kept walking backwards, "Yeah?"

Bella bit her lower lip as her eyes shone with excitement, "See you tomorrow!"

Edward grinned, "Yeah, I'll be waiting with the preacher. Don't be late!"

Bella laughed as she hugged herself. She was getting married! "What if I am, Cullen?"

Edward stopped walking and put his hand over his heart, "Then I will wait for you, Isabella Swan."

They both ignored the comments and jibes as they stared at each other, their eyes talking volumes.

"You won't have to wait long at all, I'll be there." She said quietly.

Edward gave her a nod and a wink before he climbed into his car and drove away.

Bella stood staring at where he had stood, with a slopping grin that she knew was not going to stop anytime soon.

Beside her Esme wiped a stray tear off her cheek as she put an arm around her soon-to-be daughter, "Who knew that my son was so swoon worthy?" she said.

Bella giggled, "I know right? He really is, Essie, you have no idea of the mad skills that man has…"

Bree covered her ears and ran inside singing at the top of her voice, while Alice, Rosalie, Makenna and Megan laughed. Esme bit back her grin as she shook her head, "Oh my Darling, there is no doubt that you are meant to be a Cullen. Come on, we have a small party to get to!"

Bella looked at her as they made their way to the back of the house, "Party?"

Esme nodded, "After what happened at the stag party, your friends wanted to make sure that you received your gifts and so I invited them to come over for a couple of snacks and a pre-wedding glass of champagne. They will all be gone by ten o'clock because you will need your beauty sleep."

Bella spent the next hour and a half blushing wildly as she unwrapped all manner of intimate wear from her girl friends as they swapped stories and advice for the soon to be newlywed.

She had thought that she would never fall asleep, but surprisingly Bella sleep deeply and only woke up when Esme knocked lightly on her bedroom door after nine the next morning.

Bella was shocked that she had slept so long, but Esme assured her that there was nothing to do, except for her to eat the enormous breakfast that was put on her knees.

The morning passed swiftly, with people popping in and out of the room as they hurried to do one thing and another. Bella was surprisingly calm as she soaked in a fragrant bath after which she showered the oils off and washed and conditioned her hair. She had already visited the salon in town where Vicky, Jimmy's wife had plucked, waxed and buffed her legs, armpits and bikini area to within an inch of her life, and so all that was left to do was to smooth body lotion onto her skin before Vicky arrived to do her hair. Vicky, Jimmy and one other hairdresser had arrived at the Cullen home armed for anything with their curling irons, flat irons, curlers and hairdryers, not to mention the _two_ suitcases of hair products and make up.

Finally the house was quiet. Only Esme, Kate, Garrett's wife and Bella remained at the house as Alice, Rosalie, Makenna, Bree and Angela had all left with the children for the church already.

As always, Alice's organizational skills had been faultless and she had arranged that the children be given lunch, had a place to rest and be entertained beforehand and they would only be dress at the last minute.

Bella had just slipped her dress on and Esme stood behind her checking every detail.

Bella knew that she should be feeling nervous and even slightly panicked but all she felt was an anxiety to get down that aisle and marry her man.

It was just after 3:30 p.m. when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in!" Bella said as her eyes met Esme's in the full-length three paneled mirror. Esme smiled fondly and patted her back reassuringly.

Carlisle opened the door and smiled at Bella, "Anyone here called for 'a dad' to escort them down the aisle?" he teased.

His teasing smile changed to one of awe as he stepped into the room and he got his first proper look at Bella.

"Oh my…" he said.

Bella frowned as she nervously patted her dress, "What?"

"You're beautiful…" Carlisle whispered almost reverently.

Bella beamed at him as she blushed, "You scared me! I thought that I had a smudge or something!"

Carlisle smiled down at her, "My son is going to pass out when he sees you, sweetheart."

Esme walked over to him and elbowed his side, "Do you have it?"

Carlisle nodded as he pulled a flat box from his tuxedo pocket and held it out to Bella, "This is for you Bella, from Esme and me. This is a gift that we have given each of our daughters on their wedding day and you are no exception."

Bella bit her lip as she opened the box and she recognized the breathtaking white and yellow gold cuff bracelet that was engraved with an unusual crafted design, that Esme, Alice and Rosalie all owned and seemed to wear most of the time.

"Oh my… this is too much!" Bella said as she stared at the design.

Esme smiled, "This is called a Wedding Claddagh Three Leaf Clover cuff. It has been a tradition in Carlisle's family for many generations that the wife receives a cuff like this on her wedding day. The symbolism of the hands is friendship, the heart is love and the crown is loyalty. The three-leaf clover on either side represents the Holy Trinity and good fortune. The cuff is worn on the left arm with the heart facing inward to symbolize that you are taken."

Bella bit her lip as Carlisle raised his eyebrows, silently asking her permission to put the cuff on her arm. Bella nodded and Carlisle slipped it over her slim wrist. He stepped back and smiled at her.

"There now, are you ready?"

Bella nodded again because she knew that she was likely to burst into tears if she opened her mouth. Earlier that morning, Kate had handed Bella a fragile looking hanky with a tiny blue flower embodied into the corner. She told Bella that it was her 'something old' and 'something blue' that had been a gift from her own grandmother on her wedding day, as she said because Bella was like a daughter to her and Garrett, that it was only right that she use it on her special day. Bella had spent a few minutes crying in the bathroom after that.

Emmett arrived to escort his mother and Kate to the church and just after they left a white limousine arrived at the front door.

Bella didn't remember ordering one at all but when she looked at Carlisle, he shrugged and told her that Tex had wanted to contribute something towards her special day.

The drive to the church was over quickly and Carlisle didn't seem to mind that Bella spent it staring out of the window.

They pulled up to the crowded church parking lot and Bella smiled when she saw her bride's maids standing just inside the church reception area.

"Ready, sweetheart?"

Carlisle's voice brought her out of her daze. Bella turned to him with wide, startled eyes.

"I'm getting married." She said as she clutched her fingers together.

Carlisle put a warm hand over hers and he waited patiently for her to look at him.

"I know that you are not my biological daughter, but I want you to know that Esme and I are very proud of the young woman that you have become, Isabella. Edward is a very blessed man."

At the mention of Edward's name Bella felt the butterflies that had been swarming in her stomach grow quiet.

She was marrying Edward. They were going to be together for the rest of their lives.

Bella leaned over and gently kissed Carlisle's cheek, "I don't really remember Charlie, but I would like to think that he was a wonderful a man as you are, Carlisle."

The driver was standing outside the door and he chose that moment to interrupt the moment as he opened it.

Carlisle got out of his side and walked around to help Bella get out.

Inside the church, Alice, Rosalie and Makenna fussed around Bella as they straightened her dress. Makenna handed her the pale pink and white bouquet that was casual and pretty. The flower girls looked absolutely precious in their dresses, which Bella had allowed each child to choose itself. Much to their mothers' chagrin, the dresses fitted the casual, yet almost vintage feel of the dresses that the bridesmaids had chosen. Whereas the bridesmaids' dresses were in neutral tones, each of the flowergirls had each chosen predominantly white dresses with touches of soft pink.

At last Alice nodded and Rosalie and Makenna opened the double wooden doors as the congregation rose to their feet and the opening sounds of "Bridal Chorus" from Wagner's _Lohengrin._

Bella watched as Chelsea, Emma and Dale skipped and giggled down the aisle with Bree, Alice, Rosalie and Makenna behind them.

Bella didn't hear the music. She looked up and saw Edward standing at the top of the aisle. His face told her everything that she needed to know.

He loved her. He thought that she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen. He smiled as their eyes met and she could see the eagerness in them.

As they reached the wedding party, Carlisle paused and when Craig as the question "Who gives this woman in marriage?" he smiled proudly, "Esme and I do." He answered before he reached down and kissed her cheek.

"Be happy, Bella."

He placed her hand in Edward's and looked at his son, "Treat her well, Son."

Edward nodded, "I will."

As Edward took Bella's hand, he felt the tug that he always felt when he touched her. Minutes earlier he had not been able to believe his eyes as he caught a first glimpse of his bride.

Her dress hugged her body lovingly before it fell to the floor in soft folds. The veil was attached to her chignon and fell behind her to the floor. Her skin looked flawless as the strapless gown molded around her breasts. Edward noticed that she was wearing the Claddagh cuff that his parents had given her as well as the diamond stud earrings that he had given her as her birthday gift the night before.

The ceremony was kept fairly short as Edward and Bella had requested. They exchanged traditional wedding vows before Craig instructed them to take each other's hands.

"Bella and Edward wanted to make their own vows before they exchange their rings. Bella?"

There was no one else in the room except Edward at that moment. Bella stared deep into his bright green eyes as she began to speak the words that she had chosen.

"Edward, 'Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, for where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.' These words are from the book of Ruth in the Old Testament. I love you."

Edward had to clear his throat a couple of times before he was able to respond. He smiled down at Bella as his words rang out clear in the room, "I, Edward, take you, Isabella, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity."

There was not a dry eye in the church as the couple went on to exchange their wedding rings and finally Craig smiled broadly as he announced, "Edward, you may kiss your bride!"

Edward huffed a loud, "Finally!" Before he swept Bella into his arms and kissed her while the church erupted in laughter and applause.

Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" began as the couple walked back down the aisle. Bella felt as if she was floating which was as much from Edward's heart stopping kiss, as it was from the excitement of getting married.

As they stepped into the sunshine Bella gasped.

In front of them stood Tex, Garrett, Peter, Vince, Mickey and Torres in their dress uniform forming a 'guard of honor' with their ceremonial swords crossed over their heads.

Bella could not stop the tears from falling as she and Edward walked beneath the ceremonial swords and she saw that all of the men looked as if they had shed some tears.

Carlisle and Esme were waiting at the end along with the other guests and she and Edward were hugged and kissed as they were passed from one person to the other.

They eventually reached the limo, with the rest of the bridal party and they climbed in amid much laughter.

The photographer met them at the main house and he began taking photos as they made their way to the meadow behind the house. They took so many photographs that Bella was beginning to get hungry before he stopped and told them that the photo session was over.

Alice and Rosalie went on to settle the children in the marquis while Bella and Edward walked on.

"Alone at last!" Edward said as he hugged Bella to his side.

She giggled, "Well, kind of alone if you can ignore the fact that there are about two hundred people waiting for us up there." She motioned to where they could just see the lights beginning to twinkle in the late afternoon.

Edward stopped walking and turned Bella to face him, "Are you happy, love?" he asked seriously.

Bella smiled, "More than I would ever have believed possible. Are you?"

Edward's eyes darkened, "Deliriously happy. I love you, Bella."

Their kiss was tender as it was sensual and when they parted, they stared at each other for a long time without talking.

Bella's stomach grumbled, making them laugh, "Come on, let's feed you, sweetheart."

When they reached the meadow, Bella once again gasped out loud.

The pretty open field had been transformed into a breathtaking open-air reception area.

Strings of bare bulbs Chris-crossed the meadow as jars filled with electric candles lit up the surrounding trees.

There were long rows of tables and chairs with a dance floor in the middle. Each table was decorated with smaller versions of Bella's bouquet and bows in white chiffon adorned the backs of chairs.

A special reed carpet had been laid to make walking on the grass easier as Edward led Bella over to the head table as Jacob Black, who had agreed to act as the master of ceremonies announced their arrival.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to present to you, Edward and Isabella Cullen!"

Bella felt a thrill at the sound of her new name. _She was Bella Cullen!_

They took their seats and Bella was relieved to see that the table had large platters of antipasto that was made up of tomato slices, mozzarella cheese, various cold cuts of meat and salamis as well as other vegetables.

Bottles of sparkling and still water were brought to the table and for a few minutes Edward and Bella chatted with the rest of the wedding party that was sitting at their table.

Eventually it was time for the speeches and Carlisle stood up to thank everyone for their hard work and to toast his son and bride.

Garrett had approached Bella a couple of days before and he had asked her if he could stand up in Charlie's place to give a 'father of the bride speech' and she had readily agreed.

Now Garrett stood up and pulled a sheet of paper from an envelope. He looked at Bella and explained that Charlie had once given him the letter 'just in case' and it was only to be opened in the event of his death, on Bella's wedding day if he was not there to make a speech. Bella moved closer to Edward and he put one arm around her shoulders.

"_**Our darling daughter Isabella,**_

_**If you are reading this then for some reason Daddy and I are not at your wedding and that can only mean that we have died, because only death will keep us from being with you on this very important day. I am so sorry for that, sweet girl. I know that you are a strong and courageous young woman, with a full and happy life. I am confident that you are marrying a man that is worthy of your love and respect.**_

_**If we were with you today, my beautiful girl, we would tell you to love your husband with all your heart, but don't forget who you are. You are Isabella Marie Swan and you come from a long line of strong and independent women. Give your heart over to loving and caring for your family, Isabella, so that your children will grow up ready to embrace their own future.**_

_**Do not be afraid to love, Sweet girl, because if he is worthy of your love, then he will give you more than enough love in return.**_

_**We love you and we are with you in spirit – always."**_

Garrett paused and he blew his nose unashamedly before he looked at Edward. "Edward, this is to you," he said.

"_**To our son-in-law from Charlie Swan,**_

_**Today, you are receiving the most precious gift that you will ever hold in your hands – my daughter's heart. Be gentle with her, but not so much that she walks all over you. Be kind to her every day. Love and honor her so that in the moments that you screw up (and you will, son, believe me!) she will not forget your love. Swan women are feisty, so be prepared to argue, but they love fiercely and forever. When she makes you so mad that you want to shake her (believe me, I know the feeling!), forgive her and then forgive her again.**_

_**Take care of my daughter – she is the very best part of her mother and I."**_

Garrett raised his glass and looked around, "To Isabella and Edward and to those who are here in spirit!"

For a few moments there was only the sounds of clinking glasses and sniffing. Bella smiled through her tears because in that moment she felt so close to her parents.

After a few minutes, Emmett and Jasper stood up and gave a combined best man speech which had everyone in fits of laughter, after which Alice and Rosalie gave their speech.

Jacob called for the first dance and Edward took Bella into his arms as the song that they had chosen played over the loud speakers.

"**Somethin' in your eyes, makes me wanna lose myself  
>Makes me wanna lose myself, in your arms<br>There's somethin' in your voice, makes my heart beat fast  
>Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life"<strong>

Edward pressed his lips to Bella's forehead. He had never felt more complete in all his life.

"**If you knew how lonely my life has been  
>And how long I've been so alone<br>And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along  
>And change my life the way you've done"<strong>

Bella felt the steady beat of her husband's heart beneath her fingers and she sighed with total content. She was home at last.

"**It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
>It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from<br>It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
>It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong"<strong>

Edward tenderly traced Bella's delicate jaw as he stared into her eyes and he began to sing quietly.

"**A window breaks, down a long, dark street  
>And a siren wails in the night<br>But I'm alright, 'cause I have you here with me  
>And I can almost see, through the dark there is light<strong>

**Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me  
>And how long I've waited for your touch<br>And if you knew how happy you are making me  
>I never thought that I'd love anyone so much"<br>**

Bella brushed her lips to his cheek as his whispered words warmed her soul.

"**It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
>It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from<br>It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
>It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong<br>It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong"**

_***Feels like home – lyrics by Chantal Kreviazuk**_

As the song came to a close, the couple kissed, and for the moment, the rest of the world faded away and all that was left was the two lovers on the dance floor.

The evening carried on with Bella and Edward dancing with many of the guests and each other in-between eating a delicious meal and sharing plenty of laughter. Bella loved her wedding reception, it was the perfect combination of informal party and wedding reception.

Bella and Edward had not been able to settle on a choice of cake and eventually Esme had asked them to trust her. She didn't disappoint; when the three tier white sponge, raspberry cream filled cake was carried out, Bella couldn't help but grin at her mother-in-law. White chocolate curls decorated the sides of the cake, while frosted fresh strawberries, blueberries, loganberries, mulberries and wild gooseberries cascaded over the side of the three tiers and onto the silver cake board, and Bella loved it. She loved the simplicity of the cake design and it was as delicious as it looked, which she discovered when she and Edward exchanged small pieces and then a sloppy kiss as they cut the cake.

The out of town guests were welcomed by the locals and Bella was surprised when Rosalie tapped her shoulder and told her that it was time to change.

Bella changed from her dress into the outfit that she was going to wear to travel to their honeymoon destination in.

She put on the comfortable loose fitting pants and top and she smiled as Esme handed her the light weight ballet flats.

Rosalie brushed her hair out of it's bun before Bella pulled it back into a high ponytail.

Alice handed Bella a matching clutch purse in the same color pewter as her shoes.

"You are ready! Come on, Edward is waiting." Makenna hurried into the room.

Bella frowned, "Wait! Where's my luggage?"

"In the car, silly!"

With that she was hurried out of the room and to the top of the staircase.

The wedding guests had formed a line from the stairs, out the front door and to the limousine that was waiting to take them to the airport.

Edward was waiting for her and he pulled her to his side.

His eyes sparkled with barely concealed excitement, "Ready Mrs. Cullen."

Bella giggled, "More than ready, Doctor Cullen!"

They made their way through the line amide kisses, hugs and well wishes.

Once they were in the car they turned to wave goodbye, before the driver picked up speed.

Bella leaned back against the seat and laid her head on Edward's shoulder with a small sigh.

"Are you tired?"

Bella shook her head, "Not really, it's just going to take some time to get used to, you know? We are married!" she looked down at her hand with her engagement and wedding rings on and then she looked at Edward's left hand as it rested on her thigh. His matching band shone in the dim light.

Bella turned to him with a smile, "So, are you going to tell me where we are going?"

Edward chuckled, "Okay, so you have been more than patient so I can tell you that I have booked a villa on Jumby Bay. It's on a private island off the main island of Antigua, in the Caribbean."

"_A private villa? On a private island?_ Are you serious?"

Edward laughed harder, "Yes love, I am completely serious. We are going to be there for three weeks with plenty of time for travel. We are flying into Miami tonight and we will transfer to the island tomorrow. On our way home, we will spend three day in Miami before coming home."

Edward reached forward and Bella noticed the ice bucket for the first time. Edward opened the bottle of champagne and poured them each a glass.

He sat back and raised his glass to Bella, "Here is to you, my darling girl. Happy birthday."

The rest of the car ride went quickly as they talked about the wedding and their friends and Bella could not believe that two hours had passed as they pulled into the airport on the outskirts of Burlington.

The driver handed their bags off to an airport porter and he wished them a wonderful honeymoon. Edward and Bella made their way to the departure lounge and they only had time for a glass of champagne each before their flight was called.

They spent their time chatting quietly and dozing before landing in Miami.

From there they had just enough time to eat a quick breakfast before they flew to the breathtaking island resort known as Jumby Bay.

A golf cart whipped them off to their private villa and Bella was more than shocked as she stared up at the multistory white stucco house that overlooked a pristine private stretch of beach.

The porter opened the villa's doors and he carried in their luggage and took it to their room on the lower level he wished them a wonderful honeymoon and left quickly.

Edward stared down at Bella as she looked out over the sea.

"This is breathtaking." She whispered.

Edward nodded, "Yes, you are."

She looked up at him from under her lashes and Edward felt himself grow hard as her eyes sparkled and her cheeks turned pink.

In a swift movement he bent down and swept Bella into his arms. Between the two of them, they had not slept for more than a few hours in the last twelve hours, but at that moment neither were thinking about sleep.

Edward kicked the door closed and Bella only got a glimpse of cool stone floors and whitewashed walls as Edward descended to the lower floor quickly.

Bella was immediately conscious of a mild breeze that flowed through the room and the sound of water. She looked around her with interest and then her eyes widened in shock as Edward slid her to the floor.

"Oh Edward… this is unbelievable." She breathed.

The room was white and airy with soft accents from the scenery outside; pale blues, the softest greens and a smudge of sandy beige. It was walled on three sides by shutters that folded flat to bring the outdoors inside while the bed stood in the middle of the room resting against a half wall that housed the bathroom. The bed was enormous with great billows of netting stretching from the high ceiling to beyond the floor. The terracotta tiles under their feet added to the coolness of the room, while large folding shutters opened up the room to the outside with a small patio leading onto the beach. Bella spun around and looked out of the other shutters and gasped.

A private courtyard housed an outside, freestanding bath that was at least eight feet long and deep enough to take Bella up to her neck if filled to the top.

"Look at that!" Bella squealed and she didn't care that she sounded like her six year old niece!

_This was amazing!_

"Would you like to take a swim before dinner?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded, "That sounds great! I would love to wash the travel grim off, but I just need the bathroom quickly."

Edward nodded as he kicked off his sandals and pulled his shirt over his shoulders' in one swift movement.

"Okay, I'll see you out there." He nodded to the water as he unbuckled his cargo shorts.

Bella stared at him wide eyed, "What about your bathing costume?" she asked.

Edward looked at her and winked, "This is our private beach, Bella. There is no other access to it but through this house and I was assured that we would be given complete and utter privacy. Now, I will see you out there."

And with that he let his shorts and boxers fall to the floor as he stepped over them and walked to the waiting ocean.

Bella whimpered for a moment as she watched his taut ass move.

_Yum_, she thought and then giggled as she wiped her mouth. _Nice, Bella!_

She quickly undressed and washed her face in the adjoining bathroom. She snagged two enormous white bath sheets and after she wrapped one around herself, she walked outside.

The sand was like powder, it was so fine and soft. Bella could see Edward as he stood up and pushed his wet hair off his face. His back was towards her and Bella hung their towels over a palm tree before she walked slowly out to where he stood.

The water felt like silk as it flowed over her skin. Bella could feel a gentle breeze cooling her. The sun was setting, which turned the sea to a fiery orange on the horizon.

"Wow…" Bella said.

Edward smiled, "Yeah, having you here like this is completely – 'wow'" he said with an exaggerated lecherous grin.

Bella giggled as her body rocked against his gently.

Edward's hand held her hips against him and Bella could see that feral look in his eyes.

"Bella," he pulled her flush against him as his lips claimed her.

Their bodies swayed in time to the current as Edward deepened the kiss and their hands sought and found purchase on each other.

"Hold on," Edward muttered as Bella hitched one leg around his hips.

Bella whimpered as she pushed her hips against him, seeking and finding the most delicious friction.

"I need you" Bella whispered against his swollen lips.

Edward groaned and then he was lifting her as he braced his legs against the gentle movement of the water.

Bella cried out as she felt Edward fill her slowing, but with determination until his pelvis was flush against hers.

Bella wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and he began to move her up and down.

"I'm close, I'm sorry!" Edward growled out as he felt himself rushing towards a climax.

Once again they had decided not to have sex after they had come home from their night in Burlington and so, their sexual appetites had been teased and whipped into a frenzy and it now exploded around them.

Bella didn't want to ever move, but Edward's legs began to shake and so with a grumble, he lowered her gently into the water that was lapping over their waists.

They stood for a while, simply holding each other before they dived into the water and cooled off somewhat.

Bella thought that watching a dripping wet Edward, sweep his hair out of his eyes as droplets of water ran down his face and chest was the sexiest thing that she had ever seen.

They walked back to the beach and dried off quickly before they made their way back into their bedroom.

"Why don't you get into the shower, while I make sure that our dinner is on the way?" Edward asked.

Bella showered and washed her hair, taking time to smooth a wonderfully refreshing lemongrass and grapefruit scented body lotion over her skin before she realized that she hadn't brought any clothes into the room. She spotted a white sarong hanging on a hook, of course there wouldn't be thick robes in the tropics, she thought as she wrapped the gossamer material over her breasts and tied the two ends together.

She looked into the mirror but looked away quickly, instead of covering her body; the soft flimsy fabric merely highlighted her nakedness.

Bella shrugged, oh well, they were on their honeymoon, right?

She walked out of the bathroom and was immediately conscious that Edward was gaping at her.

Bella looked down at the pale blue leather set of luggage was stacked next to the brown luggage that Bella knew belonged to Edward at the end of the bed.

"Is this new?" she asked.

Edward nodded as he picked up an envelope that was sitting on the dresser, "That is from Em, Jasper, Alice and Rosalie for your birthday. Here is the card."

Bella was shocked that Edward's siblings had gifted her not only the three pieces of what was obviously expensive luggage, but also her 'trousseau' had been paid for by Carlisle and Esme.

Bella heard a whisper of clothing and her gifts were all but forgotten as she watched Edward unbutton his blue shirt before he discarded it onto a chair.

Their eyes met and Bella felt her body blush as his eyes raked over the almost see-through fabric, "What, um, what are you doing? Aren't we eating?" she whispered as she watched his eye grow dark with desire.

"They will leave it outside," he whispered.

Bella licked her lips.

He was beautiful.

Bella felt her mouth grow dry as she watched the plains of his back ripple as he moved. The tattoo of the griffin on his side undulated as if it was alive and Bella felt herself move and before she realized what she was doing, her hand reached up and traced the dark outline.

Edward hissed and stilled beneath the ministration of her soft hands. Bella pressed her lips to his back with a light touch. Her tongue darted out as she licked the warm skin and she smiled as she heard him moan.

He moved to turn around but Bella stopped him.

"Stand still." She whispered as her fingers traced the top of his dress pants.

Edward gritted his teeth as he did as she asked. His pushed his hands into his pockets as Bella nibbled and nipped at his skin. Wherever she touched, he burned with desire. The need that Bella created in him was stoked with every kiss, every caress.

Instead of hurrying, Bella instinctively slowed down as she moved behind him, gripping his ass in her palms.

When her hands left him suddenly Edward stayed in position as he listened to Bella quickly undressing and then her lips were back on him, kissing his biceps, massaging his shoulders.

She moved around him until she was standing in front of him and she smiled as she noticed that Edward's eyes were closed, his head thrown back. His breathing came in soft, shallow pants as he struggled to maintain control.

Bella reached up and gently kissed and sucked at the skin on his collar bone, making sure that she didn't touch anywhere else.

"Fuuuck," Edward exhales as he feels her warm lips kissing, sucking, nipping his skin, right were the pulse pounds at the base of his throat.

"Bella, I…" he began, but she stopped him, "Shhhh. Do you know how much I love you Edward Cullen? Do you know how sexy you are? How fuckable you are?" she whispered as she peppered his torso with kisses.

Edward hissed as her tongue flicked out and licked his hardened nipple.

"I want you," she said as she bit his nipple.

With a muttered curse, Edward snapped out of his lust induced fog and then he was gripping Bella around her waist and before she could think about his next move, she was sprawled across the bed and then he was there; right there, his dark eyes shining down at her as he braced himself over her.

"Put me inside you," he ordered.

Bella grew wetter at his words.

She felt a secret thrill every time he spoke dirty to her.

Her small hand closed around his hot girth.

Edward thought he was going to bite through his lip as Bella guided his cock to her entrance.

They both let out a shout as he entered her.

His fingers entwined with hers as he pushed their arms over her head.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Edward peppered his words with kisses to her skin.

Bella whimpered as her body brought her closer, so much closer.

Every time she thought she could feel her orgasm approaching, Edward slowed them down; teasing her until they were slick with sweat and Bella was almost in tears with need.

"Please!" she begged as she clawed his shoulders.

Edward paused before he plowed into her, driving them both over the edge, "NOW! Bella!"

An hour later Edward had filled the outside bathtub and they were both enjoying eating their dinner of _Fungee_, a cornstarch mixture that was similar to Italian polenta which they enjoyed with small pots of pepper pot stew - a mix of salted beef and pork with squash, okra, eggplant, spinach, pumpkin, and cornmeal dumplings.

There was also a platter of fresh vegetables and fruits and a large pitcher of litchi and pineapple juice, with mint and lime.

They spent hours in the bath, feeding each other, slopping water all over the stone tiles as they made love again.

=====HS=====

Days passed in a haze of sunshine, warm sea water that was clear for miles, long lazy meals and making love.

Bella barely dressed in clothing, preferring to wear one of the seven bikinis' that had been packed for her with a sarong wrapped around her waist, if she wore anything at all.

Edward wore only board shorts, but more often than not, he only put shorts on when he let the cleaning staff or waiters that delivered their food inside.

The only clouds on the horizon were the dreams that Bella had been having. They had begun just before the wedding and every night thereafter Bella either woke up in a panic or she woke with tears on her cheeks. Every morning Edward would ask her what her dreams were about but Bella was scared that if she voiced them, her dreams would somehow come true.

_They were always the same: she and Edward were laughing and joking together and then, nameless, faceless men would drag Edward away from her as they dragged him into the ocean, ignoring her screams and pleading they would tell her that she was always going to be alone and that Edward would never be hers again…_

Night after night Edward would wake only to either hear Bella crying in the bathroom, or walking around their villa, checking the locks on the doors and shutters. He had asked her what was wrong the first few mornings but when he had seen that his questions upset her, he let it go. The nights that she cried were the worst and when she would crawl back into their bed, Edward would just pull her on top of his chest with her legs and arms curled around him and her face buried in his neck, like a little spider monkey. Those nights he would wait for a few minutes and pretend to wake up only to make love to her, which she reciprocated with a fervor that concerned him.

After the first ten days, Bella had become so used to waking up at anytime of the morning, only to eat, make love and swim or suntan that she was surprised when she woke up one morning to find the space next to her empty and cool.

"Edward?" she called as she pushed her hair off her shoulder and sat up, as one hand clutched at her wildly beating chest. She pushed the panic down as she told herself that her fears were unfounded.

The shutters that opened to the beach were open and the soft curtains fluttered in the breeze. Bella saw that Edward wasn't on the beach or in the water. She frowned as she swung her legs to the floor.

She picked up a dark blue sarong that was lying across the foot of the bed and quickly wrapped it around her breasts. She used the bathroom and washed her face before she wound her hair up into a messy bun and secured it with a clip, before she went in search of Edward.

He definitely wasn't outside and she walked upstairs only to find him on the phone.

He pulled her close and kissed her lips before he began talking again.

Bella didn't follow the one sided conversation as she walked into the small kitchen and began to pull out ingredients for French toast.

By the time that Edward was off the phone, Bella was just plating their breakfast.

She had made a pot of local coffee that they had fallen in love with and she put a small basket of fruit on the table.

"Good Morning, my Darling," Bella smiled as Edward kissed the side of her face.

"Morning, I didn't like waking up alone." She said as she put his plate down.

Edward smiled; he loved her cute pouty mouth. _Was it wrong to think that it was so damn sexy?_

"I'm sorry, but you were sleeping so soundly and I didn't want to wake you."

"Who were you talking to?"

Edward swallowed his bite of toast and grinned at her, "It's a surprise!"

"Edwaaaard, you know that I don't like surprises! Tell me." Bella whined.

Edward shook his head and chuckled, "You are so cute, but no. Now we have to hurry, we are leaving in forty minutes and we still need to pack."

Bella glared at him, "Pack? Where are we going? I thought we were here for three weeks?"

Edward wagged his finger at her, "Stop being so inquisitive. Yes, we are here for another two weeks, but I thought that we could take a little trip and see some more of the islands."

Bella felt excited as she quickly dressed in a short sundress, her bikini and a pair of flat sandals, while Edward quickly packed a bag for them. Bella loved the golden glow of their tans and the resort supplied the most wonderful locally made, completely natural skin products that make their skin feel soft and silky.

With a quick look around they were ready to go. Edward secured the shutters in their villa just as the driver arrived to take them to the waiting boat.

Bella clapped her hands with excitement when she saw the sleek white yacht, _The Windjammer_, waiting for them at the docks.

A middle aged couple was waiting for them on board, and Bella liked Mike and Terry Summerfield instantly.

Mike was in his late forties and Terry was perhaps a little younger. Both had tans and weathered skin with graying hair. Terry showed Bella to their bedroom quarters while Mike showed Edward the rest of the yacht.

"These are your quarters, Bella, this is your sitting room, your bedroom is through that door and the bathroom is just off that." Terry said with a smile to the man that she had introduced as Barney, who was their 'second in command and general 'go to' man'. Barney put their luggage in the bedroom and then excused himself.

Bella looked around the cabin. It was decorated in white with wooden accents and was overall cool and inviting.

When she saw the enormous bed, she couldn't help her blush as she imagined her and Edward making good use of the spaciousness.

She looked up to see Terry smiling at her, "You and your husband make a very beautiful couple, Bella and I'm sure that you will enjoy ample space in this room."

"Thank you." Bella felt her blush deepen at the sparkle in the older woman's eyes.

"Um, so where are we headed off to first?" Bella asked.

Terry smiled knowingly but she allowed the change of subject, "Why don't we go up on deck and Mike can go over the itinerary with you?"

Back on the deck, Bella found Edward and Mike sitting in the molded outdoor seating area, while the rest of the crew readied for their departure.

Mike smiled at them, "We are leaving within the next fifteen minutes and we are setting sail for Saint Martin. We should be there in about fourteen hours. Once we dock, we will go on shore and take you on a tour of the town. We depart after dinner this evening and tomorrow morning we will arrive in Saint Thomas, where we have booked you in to for a tour in the morning and then you will have the rest of the day to yourselves. From there we are headed to Martinique and then our last stop will be Saint Lucia before we bring you back in four days time."

Mike went on to tell them what the 'house safety rules' were and he showed them where the emergency equipment was kept. He explained that there was going to be plenty of time for swimming off the yacht and 'alone' time.

He lastly assured them that while they would be given as much privacy as possible to remember that they were still in 'public', unless they were parked in the few private coves that they would be stopping at for some 'down time.'

Bella blushed profusely at his less than subtle innuendo.

Bella felt the bubble of excitement burst as anxiety welled up inside her. She had never been on the ocean before and she had never, ever been sailing! Her dreams seemed more of a prediction in that moment and Bella could feel her heart begin to race.

Edward could feel Bella anxiety rolling off her in waves, and he quickly thanked his hosts and excused them while they got ready to depart.

He lifted Bella up and ignored her squeak of surprise as he positioned her to straddle his lap, so that they were almost nose to nose.

He ran his hands over her lightly stroking from her shoulders to her waist until he felt her relax slightly.

"What's wrong love? Are you scared?" he asked softly.

Bella bit her lip as her eyes darted around, thinking of what to say so that she didn't sound like a complete baby.

Edward put a finger under her chin and lifted it gently until Bella finally looked up at him. She sighed and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Talk to me, Sweetheart." He urged.

Bella gave a small shrug, "I don't know, I guess that I'm just scared, you know? I mean, what if something happens? What if something goes wrong and I lose you? I can swim and all but what if I can't get to you?" Bella stopped talking as her eyes flooded with sudden tears and she looked down at her lap, embarrassed.

Edward frowned, "Hey! Hey now! None of that look at me –" Edward admonished her tenderly as he wiped the few stray tears that had escaped. He loved the sun kissed glow on her cheeks and the adorable freckles that had come out of hiding and now he leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose before he pulled back.

"Now, what's this all about?" he asked again.

Bella let out a sigh of frustration, "Nothing, it's just that I watched this movie with Rose and Emmett last week and there was this couple that went sailing in the Caribbean and pirates came and … and… I've had dreams…" she shrugged again as her voice faded.

Edward wanted to chuckle but he knew that Bella's fears of the unknown were real, he was also going to give Emmett a piece of his mind for letting her watch a movie like that! Sometimes he wondered where his parents had gotten Emmett from! Edward turned his attention to Bella, "My love; I can't promise that nothing will ever happen to me, but I can promise you that living in fear of something happening to either one of us is no way to live."

Bella pouted slightly and huffed. She knew that the wedding and the drama before that recently had caused her nightmares, and she had _tried _to tell herself that she was being silly, but they just seemed so real!

Edward looked at her closely, "Is this what has been keeping you up at night? Are these the dreams that you've been having that every time I ask you, you tell me that you don't remember?"

Bella nodded with a frown, "I know that I'm being silly," she began but Edward put a finger over her lips.

"You are not being silly at all, but we need to talk about this. One of the things that we need to work on is transparency and honesty. I can't help you or allay your fears if I have no idea what those fears are! Now, we can cancel this right now and just go back to the villa if you want."

Bella eyes grew large, "Really? You would do that for me?"

"Of course I would, love! This is our honeymoon and everything that I do or arrange is to make you happy and if you aren't happy then what is the point?"

They stared at each other for a moment before Bella let out a shaky breath, "I think that we can go, but could you do me a favor and wear a life jacket when you are on the deck if the boat's moving and you are going to stand on the side?"

After a moment Edward agreed as long as Bella promised to do the same. Mike made an appearance shortly afterwards to check that they were ready to leave. He and Terry had overheard some of their conversation and he quickly let Bella know that his staff of seven in total were all experience sailors and they were also able to secure the boat and arm themselves should anything untoward happen. He assured Bella that the route that they were sailing was the most popular and they would not be alone on the water, as patrol boats combed the route constantly.

For the next couple of hours Mike and Terry made sure to show Bella and Edward the safety features on the vessel and Mike pointed out the parole boats that they passed. He even allowed Bella to hear him radio in to their next port of call with their current coordinates and their estimated time of arrival so that she could see that they were safe.

Terry pointed out the weather forecast that they did each morning and evening and she also showed Bella where the emergency radio was situated.

Bella finally began to relax and when Edward suggested that they sunbathe on the private upper deck, she agreed.

"I'm sorry that I kept my fears from you," she murmured as Edward smoothed suntan lotion onto her bare back and shoulders after she had untied the string of her bikini top.

Edward leaned down and kissed her warm neck gently.

"I'm just glad that you told me, my love. I hated seeing you so upset without knowing what was going on."

He lay down next to her and she turned her face towards him.

"I love you so much, Edward and sometimes I wonder if it's just too good to be true. I'm scared that I don't deserve all of this happiness, you know?"

Edward reached out and stroked her cheek gently with one finger, "I know that I don't deserve you, Isabella, but I'm not questioning it. I refuse to live in fear. I would rather live each day to it's fullest potential with no regrets."

His eyes grew sad before he carried on speaking, "After Jenna first died, I remember how I was haunted by nightmares for about two years. I was afraid every single day. I was too afraid to do anything in case I did something wrong and my family would remember that I was the one to screw up."

He smiled as Bella smoothed his furrowed brow, "Then one day Jasper told me to stop living in fear. He said that if I let the fears control me, I would be wasting precious time and not really living at all."

Bella licked her lips, "Did that help?"

Edward stared at her wet, plump lips before he answered in a husky voice, "Yeah, and then you came along and I knew what I'd been allowed to live for. My soul was waiting for you."

Their eyes stared deeply into each other's before Edward broke off to stare once more at her lips.

With a groan he succumbed to the temptation.

"Isabella…" he ground out before his lips crashed to hers, sucking the very breath from her lungs.

Bella felt desire pulsate through her as his raspy tongue flicked over her lips, before they parted, giving Edward access to her warm mouth.

They spent long moments making out with Edward's hand slipping beneath the loose top as he teased her nipples to a point just below pain.

Edward heard the deliberately heavy sounds of someone coming upstairs and he rolled over to hide his very obvious, almost painful erection, while he flipped Bella onto her stomach so that her breasts were covered.

Gladwell, one of the kitchen staff poked his head over the ladder and announced shyly that lunch was served. He was relieved that he had not interrupted anything to intimate and he grinned with relief as he saw Edward scowl at him perusal of his pretty wife's rear end.

Lunch was an entertaining affair, with Terry and Mike being the perfect hosts. Mike's second and third in command, Barney and Tobias joined them for lunch and they kept the couple entertained with tales of their various trips.

Barney was a little older than Mike and he had lost his wife to cancer a few years before. Rather than let depression get him down, he had given his Florida home to his children and had contacted his old college friend, Mike, who immediately invited him to join their crew. His two children were in college and they encouraged him to 'spread his wings' return to his first love – sailing.

Tobias was in his twenties and hailed from the island of St. Lucia. His family home was on Trinidad and in his spare time, he played calypso cricket and charmed the ladies. He invited Edward and Bella to join the rest of the crew for a day and night at his parents 'compound' before they headed back to Antigua.

Terry laughed and said that he really did have a lady in every port and Bella could believe it as she was charmed by the man's disarming accent and cheeky smile.

After a languid lunch, Edward excused them, stating that they needed a 'nap'. He clasped Bella's hand tightly in his as he ushered her toward their stateroom, ignoring the knowing grins of their company.

Bella's cheeks were bright red as she almost tripped into their room.

"Wha…" she began but was spun around and found herself pressed against the room's cool interior wall.

"I need you," Edward growled as he covered her body with his.

"Edward, what's…" she began again as his lips nipped at her neck.

"Shhhh, I need to fuck you, baby." He whispered darkly.

Bella threw her arms around his neck, "What are you waiting for?" she countered.

Edward let out a bark of laughter as he lifted her and walked over to their bed.

Their light coverings disappeared in seconds and without a thought, he was pressing into her heat.

The feeling of the fast pace of the yacht, combined with the fact that they were not entirely alone, led to the feeling of recklessness and daring as they came together twice before falling into a deep sleep.

=====HS=====

"Are you okay?" Edward's quiet voice broke the silence of the night.

Bella turned away from the sight of the night sky and looked at him in the dim light of the room.

It was their last night in the Caribbean and Bella couldn't believe that almost a month had passed since their wedding day.

"Isabella?" he asked again sitting up as she turned from the French doors and walked over to the bed.

Bella had long since shed any inhibitions that she had about being naked most of the time and she knew that it was going to be difficult not to make every excuse to get naked back home.

She sighed as she climbed onto the bed, "I'm fine. I guess that I'm not tired or maybe I just don't want to waste time sleeping when this is our last night here. I love this place and I love how we have been here and well, I think that I'm dreading going home and all of this," she waved her arms, not caring that her breasts were jiggling and teasing Edward as he struggled to concentrate on her words, "behind."

Edward forced himself to focus on her words and he nodded with great effort and kept his eyes on hers, "Well, that's understandable, but you know, we don't have to sleep." He smirked with a glint in his eyes, "We could go for a," he looked at the clock quickly, "three a.m. swim and then we could soak in the outside tub, after which I'm sure that I could give you a 'massage' or something. We only leave here at eleven and our flight is at two so there is plenty of time. What do you say?"

Bella felt her nipples pucker and only then did she notice that Edward's errant fingers were plucking them gently, moving his devilish fingers from side to side.

She felt the familiar tingle in the pit of her stomach as she grinned at him, "Yeah? You think you can go without sleep, old man?"

She let out a shout of protest as Edward tackled her to the bed, "Old Man?" he growled as he noisily nipped and sucked on her neck, "We'll see who is walking funny tomorrow, Mrs. Cullen!"

Bella let out gales of laughter as she tried to catch her breath and dodge his nimble fingers and mouth, "You always walk kind of funny. I thought it was the caterpillar in your pants…"

Edward let out a howl of indignation as Bella tumbled off the bed and slipped through the open shutters, running towards the dark beach.

Just before her feet hit the water, two large hands scooped her up into strong arms and with a growl of triumph Bella was tossed surreptitiously into the warm water with a splash.

They splash and played in the ocean like two children until Edward caught her and their laughter died as their kisses became softer and needier.

Edward pressed his forehead against Bella's as she wrapped her legs around his hips and he walked back to their villa.

"You will always be my 'island girl', love. Even in Hope Springs." He said before he lowered her to the cool mat covered tiles.

=====HS=====

Carlisle and Esme had insisted on meeting the couple at the airport upon their arrival back in Vermont.

As Esme and Carlisle watched for their son and daughter-in-law, Esme spotted a familiar head of hair.

"Oh Carlisle – look at them!" she whispered excitedly.

Gone was the pale, waifish like girl that they had first met and even the ethereal looking beauty that had walked down the aisle only a month before.

In place of the fragile slip of a girl was one of the most breathtakingly beautiful women that they had ever seen. Bella's hair had been bleached in the sunlight and was streaked with twenty shades of browns and blondes. Her skin glowed with her suntan and a vitality that seemed to emanate from the man walking beside her. Her bare legs were tanned and bare and the purple and white short sarong skirt and purple tank top made her skin glow.

Edward looked much younger than his thirty-one years. His green eyes looked almost translucent; they shone so brightly in his smiling tanned face. His hair had also faded to various shades copper, penny-bronze and gold and his skin had tanned to a golden color but it was the look of pure joy and contentment on his face as he leaned down to whisper something in Bella's ear, which made her look up at him from under her lashes as she giggled.

Esme's heart felt as if it was going to burst, she was so happy to see the two children that she had fretted and worried over looking so very happy and in love.

Bella looked up at that moment and her face lit up even more as her eyes met Esme's "MOM!" she shouted across the small airport.

Esme opened her arms and she gathered her children to her.

"Welcome home, my loves."

Bella let out a sigh of contentment – they really were home.

**A/N: Was it everything you thought it would be? Only a couple more chapters to go…**

**In other news: I went to see Breaking Dawn Part 2 last night and I have to say that it is my favorite movie of the series! I loved it so much and can't wait to see it again.**

**I have a couple of recommendations this week = yes I have been reading up a storm for the past little while, but I have come across some amazing stories:**

We Move Through It: Life BY helliesworld

Edward and Bella are in their 30s, raising a family and moving through 'life'. Enjoying & hating each bump and turn in the journey. It is about the moments in life that can make or break us. *it will be amazing - trust me*

The Life Aquatic from coldplaywhore,

Summary: Life happens when you least expect it, and puts you on a course that  
>you never planned, into a future you never even imagined that you wanted. This<br>is the story of girl meets boy, meets boy... aka, his son. Rated M 


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The only thing Twilight related that I own is my BREAKING DAWN 2 TICKET stub!

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**At the end of chapter 36 – **_

_**Esme's heart felt as if it was going to burst, she was so happy to see the two children that she had fretted and worried over looking so very happy and in love.**_

_**Bella looked up at that moment and her face lit up even more as her eyes met Esme's "MOM!" she shouted across the small airport.**_

_**Esme opened her arms and she gathered her children to her.**_

"_**Welcome home, my loves."**_

_**Bella let out a sigh of contentment – they really were home.**_

**CHAPTER 37 – A new kind of 'normal'**

"Hey Baby? Where did you put my blue shirt?"

Bella rolled her eyes at the absurd question. Edward had at least twelve 'blue' shirts, she thought with exasperation as she slipped the cardigan on over her sweater dress.

"Which one?" Bella asked shortly, trying to keep the impatience out of her voice.

His copper head appeared around the door of the closet, "You know, the check one? With the white lines?" Bella ignored his pouty smile and puppy dog eyes.

Bella mentally counted to ten as she slipped her black pumps on and walked across the room to the walk in closet.

She ignored her tussled haired husband as she gently pushed him aside.

Roscoe and Apples watched their charges with lazy interest from their vantage point on the rug on the heath.

Within seconds she had found the navy and white check shirt and the tie that matched it and she handed it to him as she moved to walk past him again, but Edward's hand snaked out and caught her around her waist, which made her stumble against his bare chest.

"Edward, we don't have time for this," she whined impatiently as she tried to free herself.

Edward just chuckled darkly as he nuzzled Bella's neck and almost instantly she felt herself weaken.

"Come on, Babe, oh yeah… no! Now we don't have time! Oh… oh! That feels, yeah…" Edward's mischievous chuckle brought her out of her lust-induced coma and she straightened up and walked back into their bedroom.

Roscoe and Apple looked at their mistress with bright expectation. They were waiting for her to give them breakfast.

As soon as Bella walked towards the bedroom door, both dogs bolted for the staircase.

Bella laughed at their antics as she went downstairs and turned the lights on before she opened the back doors.

The new school year was in full swing and Bella loved her job and her life.

She and Edward had been busy for the rest of the summer and before either one realized it, school was starting and the fall 'flu' season had begun.

Edward and Ned had been talking about employing a fulltime nurse to assist their busy practice and Bella knew that Edward was stressed at having to conduct interviews that week.

"Love, where's my medical bag?" Edward asked as he came around the corner into the kitchen.

Bella bit back a mean retort and just told him that it was where he had left it the night before – at the front door, where he always left it, in case he had to leave home in the middle of the night for an emergency.

"Sit down, and eat," Bella urged as she set a plate of oatmeal and fresh juice on the counter.

Edward wrinkled his nose, "Porridge? What happened to bacon and eggs?" he whined, reminding Bella of her class of five year olds.

"You need to eat healthily and I am not going to let you get out of shape just because we are married. Anyway," she added with an evil glint in her eyes, "you need to watch your weight; you aren't getting any younger…" she sniggered and she ignored Edward loud protest.

Edward sat down as he snorted and shook his head, "Why you little brat! Why don't you play hooky today and I will show you just how out of shape I am?"

Bella giggled as she joined him with her own breakfast, "Don't you think that you showed me that last night? In fact you have showed me every night since our honeymoon!"

For a moment they looked at each other as they remembered their idyllic month in the Caribbean.

With a small sigh they resumed eating as they talked about their plans for that evening.

Edward stood up and carried his plate to the dishwasher before he poured two cups of coffee.

"I can't believe that I'm going to be thirty-two." He said.

Bella nodded, "I can't believe that it's Thanksgiving already! At least we can have a bit of a lazy start tomorrow."

Edward snorted, "Hello? Don't you remember who has been making plans for Thanksgiving for the past two weeks? We will be lucky if we aren't tossed out of bed at six tomorrow morning!"

Bella stood up and after loading the dishwasher and checking the water bowl for the dogs she walked over to where Edward stood in the entrance hall, holding her thick coat out.

After she had slipped the dark coat, scarf and hat on Bella slipped her arms around Edward's waist, "I have an arrangement with Esme. Why do you think that I spent these past four nights baking up a storm? I agreed to produce ten pies tomorrow, if she would leave us be for the morning. We only have to be there after twelve tomorrow, so I will be able to cater to your every whim in the morning." She said throatily.

Edward felt his lower half stir as Bella's eyes grew dark with meaning.

"So, you'll be my love slave?" his expression left no doubt as to what he was thinking.

Bella's cheeks turned pink as she looked up at him, "If that's what you want."

After he had kissed her breathless, Edward answered her, "If? Baby, that's ALL I want!"

They parted at their cars and were both soon on the road to their perspective work.

Bella pulled up in the teachers' parking lot with a small sigh.

It was another grey and wet day and the forecast said that snow could fall for Thanksgiving.

Bella had learned that the cold and wet weather made the children restless, especially if they could not run around outside during recess. Thankfully the school had a large hall that Seth had made available to the younger children for indoor recess when the weather was bad.

Bella unlocked her classroom door and turned the lights and the heaters one.

She loved her classroom and she smiled as she thought back to how her family had helped her to decorate it during the last few weeks of summer.

Emmett, Edward and Jasper had held a painting party while Bella, Alice and Esme had spent hours making posters and other decorations for the walls and the children enjoyed helping. Alice and Makenna had painted a beautiful mural on one wall, which proved so popular that Headmaster Seth had asked the women to quote and paint the hallway and lunch room's as well.

"Morning Bella," Bella looked up and smiled at her teacher's aide, Megan.

"Hi Megan, you are here early."

Megan smiled, "Well, after the Thanksgiving concert yesterday, I think that I'm just ready to have a couple of days off!"

Bella laughed and they walked to the staff room together.

The children were rowdier than usual and it was a relief to finally tidy and lock her classroom at the end of the day.

She hurried to her car and drove into town. She was meeting her sisters-in-laws for lunch at the Purple Cow and she let out an involuntary shiver as she shrugged out of her coat and hung in on the coat hanger just inside the door.

Jessica called out a greeting to Bella as she walked passed with a tray laden with food.

Bella grinned as her stomach grumbled noisily as she made her way to where Alice and Rosalie were sitting in 'their' booth.

Every week, the Cullen women would get together at least once for a meal either at the diner or the pub and it was usually in the evening, but this week with Thanksgiving coming up, they all had things to do so they decided to do lunch.

"Hey Bells!" Rosalie said as Bella slid into the seat next to her.

"Hi" Bella said.

Mike walked up to their table with a grin, "Playing hooky again, ladies? You three are going to give my wife ideas about taking time off!"

They laughed as Jess walked passed and swatted Mike's behind, causing him to yelp.

"Oh Mike, you are in trouble now! Jess has a dangerous look in her eyes." Alice teased.

After they placed their order, the conversation flitted from one subject to another.

When the women parted, Bella noticed that the day had grown darker and she quickly made her way home to put the finishing touches on the pies and to make a heartwarming meal for her and Edward as she thought about what she wanted to talk to Edward about that evening.

The timing was perfect and after discussing it with her ob/gyn, Kebi Malek, she knew that it was a good time to do what she wanted. She was healthy, young and ready.

Bella wanted to have a baby.

For months she tried to talk herself out of it. She told herself that she was too young, they were too busy, her career had just taken off, they were not ready to be parents, but none of her lame excuses could drown out the cry of her heart.

Every time she was around her nephews and nieces she felt the ache that was mostly just a weak but constant throb, accelerate to something just short of pain.

As she watched the children interact with their parents, Bella often found herself blinking back tears.

She wasn't sure what was holding her back from admitting her desire to Edward. He had already expressed his longing to become a father sooner rather than later, and she knew that their family would be completely thrilled if she were to fall pregnant, but something kept her from acknowledging it.

=====HS=====

Edward could not wait to usher his last patient out of the reception area.

"At last! Are you just about ready to go?" Ned asked from the doorway of his office.

"We are so out of here in about three minutes flat!" Edward retorted with a grin.

The two men chuckled as they quickly secured their offices and double checked that their new security system was set before they parted ways at the undercover parking where their cars were parked.

Edward checked his phone and sent Bella a text as he waited for his truck to warm up. He loved being married and he loved the 'domesticity' of his life.

He was used to the various shopkeepers poking fun at him when he stopped by the convenience store to pick up some milk or rice.

Doing their grocery shopping over the weekend was amazing fun and Edward knew that he drove Bella crazy with his constant kissing and handholding, especially when she was trying to select produce or she was trying to put in an order at the butcher, but he didn't care!

He chuckled as he read Bella's reply and he quickly reversed out of the driveway and turned onto Main Street.

Luckily there was parking right outside HS Convenience Store and Edward hurried inside.

"Hey Edward!" Embry called out.

Edward blew warm air into his cupped hands and he nodded and walked over to grab a trolley.

"Shopping again Doc? Your missus really keeps you busy, doesn't she?" the voice cackled and others joined in some laughter.

He sighed and turned to see four older gentlemen standing with Embry.

Pete Thompson and his two cronies, Bob Mackey and Mike Newton Senior were worse than the local gossips, Darla, Cathy, Felicity Cope and Lauren Atera were the of the area! They interfered and poked their noses in to everyone's business and it drove the younger generations of Hope Springs insane!

Pete owned the bait and tackle shop but most days he and his two lifelong pals, Bob Mackey and Mike Newton Senior would sit on the bench outside Mackey's Hardware store and they would pass snide comments on whoever walked past them. Pete employed someone to run the bait shop, which was a good thing, or otherwise he would never have made any money. Bob Mackey's grandson, Simon had taken over the running of the hardware store two years before and Mike Senior had retired from his job as a farming equipment salesman almost ten years before.

They liked to think of themselves as the 'fathers' of the town and thought that they had the right and in fact that it was their duty to shout all secrets and opinions from the roof tops – or in this case from the stage of the community hall whenever there was a town meeting called.

Pat Murphy, the town butcher, was once ordered to have sex with his wife with the curtains and windows closed because when Bob Mackey stood on a ladder and leaned to the left of the crab apple tree in Mrs. Pearson's yard, he could _'see and hear EVERYTHING!'_

Edward hid the shudder of revulsion at the thought of what the three men were up to and plastered a smile on his face.

"Good evening Pete!" he nodded to Bob and Old man Newton, "Bob, Mike Senior. You know what it's like Pete, the little wife is at home cooking me a delicious meal and she's stoking the fires at home, so the least I can do is pick up a bottle of her favorite wine." He said mildly.

The three older men nodded seriously, "Good idea, son! Got to keep the little woman happy!" Mike said as he nudged his two companions suggestively.

Embry pulled his nose up as if he had smelled something bad and he quickly moved over to Edward, "Um, yeah, so let me show you where I keep the good stuff, Doc – follow me!" he said quickly as he watched Edward begin to scowl.

"I don't know how you put up with them!" Edward whispered fiercely.

Embry snorted softly and he quickly looked up at the large mirrored wall and ceiling so make sure that the cronies were still where they had left them, because they had been known to follow behind some of the townspeople or to stand in the next aisle, eavesdropping.

"Laurie threw them all out last week after they stood in the personal hygiene aisle and made loud comments to whoever wanted to buy condoms! Eric had to come over and take them home!"

Edward chuckled and shook his head as he reached for several bottles of white and red wine. He quickly paid for his purchases and made his way home. He was grateful when he pulled in to the garage and closed the door on the icy weather.

He quickly put the six bottles of white wine into the fridge that they kept in the garage for excess drinks and such. He took one of the bottles of red wine out of his car and left the rest for the next day.

"Hello, Love." He said as he stepped into the kitchen. Bella looked disheveled and positively edible. She was wearing yoga pants that hugged her tiny hips and a long-sleeved thermal top that revealed that she had obviously slipped her bra off when she had changed.

Her hair had been pulled up into a misshapen bun that was stuck with one of Bella's red marking pens.

Steam and heat from the oven had caused tendrils of hair to fall in soft curls around her face and her lips looked pink and slightly swollen no doubt from nibbling on them as she cooked.

"Hey Baby, how was your day?" Bella asked with a grin as she looked at him with a grin before turning her attention to the pot on the stove.

Edward put his medical bag down beside the door and he put the bottle of wine on the counter before he made his way over to Bella and slipped his hands around her, nuzzling his face in her neck.

"Hmm, you smell so good, love." He said as he kissed the soft skin beneath her ear.

Bella giggled as she felt her knees almost give way – her husband had a wicked mouth.

"I smell like pumpkin!"

Edward hummed again, "Roast pumpkin, cinnamon, some sort of roast and," he spun her around so that his lips were just hovering over hers, "that unique 'Bella' smell that drives me crazy." He muttered as he lips dipped to capture hers in a heated kiss.

Bella's arms snaked up and the spoon that was stirring the pot of rice fell unnoticed to the ground as Bella pressed her body against Edward's resulting in his groaning and his hands gripping her hips.

They broke apart when the need for air forced them to and Edward swung around and lifted Bella to the kitchen counter.

She hissed as the cold granite top came into contact with her naked ass, but she was as eager as he was to shed her clothes.

Soon she was naked as Edward unbuttoned his shirt and then his shoes, pants and boxers joined the pile on the kitchen floor while Roscoe led Apples into the sitting room. He had seen this odd behavior before and he didn't want his impressionable companion to be traumatized by their display.

Edward's hands skimmed Bella's thighs as he stepped forward. His thumbs stroked the sweet smelling, wet outer lips as his almost black eyes bored into her.

"Fuck, baby, you are so wet already," Bella grunted as her hips bucked towards his teasing fingers.

"Edward?"

"Yeah? Oh, fuck sweetheart."

"Edward, I want to go off the pill and try for a baby…"

Edward's ears were ringing as the blood pumped harder through his body and so all he heard was: '…I want to… baby'.

Bella realized that perhaps she had not chosen the best time to discuss such an important topic but she needed to tell him before he forgot.

"Yeah, of course, you can. Hmm, you like that baby? Hmm?" he asked as he licked a bead of sweat from her neck.

_Delicious._

"Always, fuck, Edward, you always have me in this state! I can't get enough of you!"

Edward's heart swelled at her words. It was true; they could not seem to get enough of each other's bodies. They were only sated for so long until the need to be joined together swelled again and whether it was during dinner, or in the middle of the night, they would reach for each other, coupling until at last the yearning seemed to be satisfied.

Now, Edward pulled her closer as he positioned himself at her entrance.

His eyes flicked up to her face as he heard her breathing catch.

Bella could not stop the almost animalistic joy that she felt at the sight of his thick, swollen cock as it strained for her. She loved the sight of the precum as it leaked, unable to be contained in the bulbous head.

"You like that, Love? You like to see my cock as it searches for your hot little pussy?"

Bella felt pins and needles in the pit of her stomach at Edward's dirty words. She loved it when he uttered dark and forbidden things to her.

Bella whimpered as she felt the weeping head nudge against her.

"Please, baby, don't tease me."

Edward gripped her firmly and pushed inside her in one movement.

Bella's body shuddered as she spiraled towards her climax.

"Fuck! You… so fucking tight, baby." Edward exclaimed as he set a fast pace.

When he felt his own control slipping he slid one hand between them and pinched Bella's little clit that was swollen and red. It reminded him of a ripe cherry and he knew that he would nibble on that little piece of heaven before the night was over, but for now he leaned back.

"Look at us, Bella! Look at me loving you! Fuck, come for me baby, come now!"

Bella let out a cry as she felt her body convulse as Edward pinched and worked her clit through her climax. Edward's thrusts became erratic as he neared completion and he felt his knees weaken as his seed shot deep inside her heat.

Edward regained some of his strength a few minutes later and he reluctantly stepped backwards. They both moaned at the loss of contact as Bella struggled to sit up.

Edward looked at her and grinned and Bella eyebrows shot up at the mischievous glint in his brightly shining eyes.

"What?"

Edward chuckled as he stepped out of her reach before he answered her, "Well, have you ever heard the expression, 'ridden hard and put out wet'?" Bella growl of outrage had him laughing as she moved to get off the counter.

She looked down at the last minute and she felt her cheeks heat up even more than before, "God, Edward! Look at this mess!"

Edward nodded with undisguised male pride at the sight of their juices smeared over her thighs and the counter.

"That's what I'm talking about!"

He could barely contain his guffaws as Bella ordered him to get her something to clean up with and he quickly handed her some paper towels. Bella narrowed her eyes at him, "What are you up to, Doctor Cullen?" she asked as Edward winked at her and quickly scooped their discarded clothes off the floor and jogged upstairs.

Bella shook her head but she couldn't help the small giggle that escaped as she began to clean herself up.

Sometimes it seemed that Edward had regressed in age to embrace his inner teenager. For the most part Bella loved his quirky impulsiveness, except like the previous week, when he had spotted Mrs. Cope trying to spy on them in the back yard and he had deliberately exclaimed loudly for Bella to 'stop trying to ride his cock!'. Needless to say, they had not seen or heard from Mrs. Cope that week and Mr. Cope had looked embarrassed when he had spotted Bella in town the day before.

When Edward came back downstairs, he was wearing a pair of black sleep pants and his guilty conscience had forced him to bring one of Bella's 'honeymoon' outfits downstairs that he was particularly fond of – a sheer negligee in midnight blue that only fastened with a bow below the breasts but ended at the top of her thighs. Much to his disappointment he found Bella grumbling to herself as she finished disinfecting the counter top, wearing only his button down shirt that had landed on the other side of the counter.

He was hoping to have Bella as close to naked as possible, and he was about to complain, but Bella shot him a warning look and Edward sheepishly tossed her negligee over a chair.

"Did I ruin dinner?" Edward asked as he uncorked the bottle of wine and set the dining room table as Bella began to dish up.

"No – you are lucky. I had already finished the rice and had turned the stove off just before you arrived."

When Bella spotted the discarded nightie, she looked at Edward and raised her eyebrows, "Is that what you want for your birthday?" she asked as the tips of his ears turned red.

Edward shrugged as he took a sip of wine, "Well, that was the idea, but after seeing you in my shirt, I've changed my mind. This way, I have more to unwrap later." He wiggled his eyebrows and it was Bella's turn to blush.

After diner Edward cleaned up while Bella filled the hot tub in their bathroom and when Edward came upstairs a little later, he found his wife sitting in the hot tub wearing nothing but a smile.

Edward didn't complain.

Just before Bella brushed her teeth, she smiled as she threw the empty packet of pills into the waste basket.

_Perfect timing._

=====HS=====

Edward's birthday and Thanksgiving passed quickly and the race to the end of the year began in a flurry of parents meetings, lesson plans and extra mural writing club activities for Bella while Edward and Ned had found a nursing sister to employ who was also a qualified midwife and all the women in Hope Springs loved him.

Nurse Jefferson White, or 'Jeffers' as he liked to be called was in his mid thirties and he and his partner, Claude de Roubaix, who was a fairly famous local artist had found the hamlet of Hope Springs quite by accident as they drove through the beautiful autumn Vermont countryside one Sunday. They had been enchanted by the quaintness of the town and when Jeffers' old friend Kebi had mentioned that there was an opening for a nurse at the local doctors offices, Jeffers had begged Claude to just let him apply.

Edward and Ned were not expecting to find such a qualified and competent nurse so quickly, but after speaking to Jeffers and watching him work, they had offered him the job immediately.

Claude and Jeffers had found an old farm house on the outskirts of town, and after some negotiation, they had purchased it and were in the process of converting it into a country inn.

Even in the throes of winter, there was lots of activity at the new 'Hope Springs Inn'. Claude had embraced his new role as innkeeper with gusto while Jeffers entertained the full waiting room of Dr Cullen and Dr Davis with tales of the daily goings on.

Edward and Ned complained that they had never seen the reception area so busy, but they were secretly thrilled with Jeffers as he helped to lighten their load considerably.

Jeffers loved gossip and he was great at finding out the most amazing information. This made him very popular with Darla, Kathy, Miss Tessa and of course Mrs. Cope.

Mr. Cope would have protested, but the man with the odd hair and quirky bowties had green fingers and in no time he had turned the lackluster garden of the old McCrery place into a breathtaking English garden, complete with trellises of climbing roses, honeysuckle, Michaelmas daisies and other pretty pastel blooms. He was good for business and he seemed to keep the gossips in the town busy.

=====HS=====

Christmas came and went and each day it seemed that Edward and Bella became closer. The only smudge on their bright horizon was one that Bella kept hidden from her husband.

After the night before Edward's birthday, they had never discussed having a baby again. Bella knew how Edward felt, and she had been off the pill for almost four months but so far, her period had stayed to a regular twenty-eight-day cycle.

With the exception of the previous month. Bella had been almost ten days late and then it was only a light brown bleed that only last for two days.

Bella's breasts were slightly tender but she knew that she was due for a period within the next few days. She was already late again, and it was extremely annoying because she was getting confused with when her period was due.

Spring was once again in full swing and on a lovely spring day in March, Bella was on her way with Bree to Montpelier to choose a dress for the Senior Spring Dance.

Bella was excited that her young sister-in-law had asked her to join her.

"Bells, thank you for doing this with me." Bree said as she carefully drove down the highway.

Bella smiled at her, "I'm glad that you asked me, but I was surprised why you didn't ask Alice or Rose – they are the 'fashionistas' in the family."

Bella watched as the happy smile faded on Bree's face a little, "I um, I needed to talk to you." Bree said quietly.

Bella felt an uneasy flutter in her stomach. She and Brianna had always been close and the teenager had confided in Bella a number of times and she valued her opinion. Carlisle and Esme were grateful that Bella took such an interest in their youngest child and they knew that they could trust Bella to guide Bree in a wise manner.

Bella felt a little guilty that in the past few months, she had not spent much time with Bree as she had previously.

"Okay, what's up?"

Bella watched as Bree's hands tightened on the steering wheel of the second hand Jeep Cherokee that Esme and Carlisle had helped her buy on her seventeenth birthday.

Bree looked in her rearview mirrors carefully before she pulled over to the side of the road and parked in a rest stop area.

Bella frowned as she watched Bree try to gather courage.

"Hey, little sis, you can tell me anything remember? We were friends long before anything else. You were my first friend in Hope Springs. Now, what's going on?" Bella said gently as she reached out and took Bree's hand in hers. She felt how sweaty it was and she felt the slight tremor, but she didn't comment.

Bree sighed and nodded to herself before she let out a long breath, "Okay, well, as you know Riley and I are more serious than ever…"

Bella hoped that it wasn't what she suspected.

"…and anyway, we see each other once a month," Riley was studying Human Recourses at Cornell University on a full two year scholarship, "…and well…"

Bella hissed impatiently, the suspense was driving her crazy!

"Well, you know that I was going to NYU in the fall? Well, now I want to maybe skip collage and Ri and I want to move in together!" Bree finished in a rush.

Bella let out the breath that she had been holding, "Brianna, are you kidding me?"

Bree had the grace to blush slightly although Bella recognized the stiff set of her shoulders and the determined look in her bright green eyes as she shook her head.

"No, I'm dead serious! Come on Bella! You know what it's like to be young and in love! You know what's it's like to want to be with your man! Riley and I just want to be together!" Her eyes were bright with excitement and anxiety, "We need you to help us tell the 'rents and smooth things over – you know that you can talk them into it!"

Bella waited until Bree was finished gushing before she began to talk in a low tone, "Brianna, I love you and I have told you repeatedly that I am always here for you, but fuck it, girl, you can't just spring this on me and expect me to make magic! You are _seventeen_; Riley is barely eighteen and a preacher's son to boot! He is on a scholarship and has to live in the dorms for the first two years and you are almost assured of a partial scholarship to NYU to study drama, just like you have always dreamed of and now you want to throw all of this away and 'shack-up' together? Oh yeah, sweetheart, this is going to be a walk in the park!"

Bree stared at Bella for a moment with her mouth hanging open before she burst into loud and noisy tears.

"MY LIFE IS OVER! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM! I WON'T!" Brianna wailed.

Bella muttered a curse and rolled her eyes as she unbuckled her seatbelt before she leaned over and pulled her young friend into her arms.

It was at times like this that Bella felt so much older than her twenty-one years. She also had to reach down deep to find any empathy for her spoilt sister-in-law.

Although Carlisle and Esme tried to give their children a sound upbringing that included each child having to hold a weekend job while maintaining their grades once they purchased a car, and being committed in their church and community, Bree as the only girl and as the 'baby' of the Cullen's was not used to having anyone say 'no' to her.

"Come on Brianna, stop crying okay? Let's talk this out, hmm?" Bella cooed.

Bree eventually calmed down enough and Bella let her blow her nose and fluff up her hair before she urged her to drive on to Montpellier.

The rest of the drive was completed in a tense silence as Bella wondered what the hell she was going to say to change Bree's mind or at least help her to see the error of her ways.

Bree parked and the two women made their way to the dress shop that Bree had wanted to visit.

They went through the motions of looking for dresses and in the end Bree chose a bottle green dress that was tied on one shoulder and fell to just above her knees with a large black cummerbund around the waist. It was simple and elegant and Bella gave her nod and smile of approval.

Meanwhile, Bree was panicking. _How was she going to tell her parents that her SATS had not been enough to get into NYU? Riley had asked her over and over again to tell her parents, but Bree was terrified. All of her family had gone to college and all of them had gone on to have successful, professional careers. Bree didn't want to be a doctor or a lawyer. She didn't want to be a teacher or a vet. In fact for the past year or so, she had no idea of what sort of career she wanted at all._

_There had been a time when she had wanted to study drama, but that dream died when she was fifteen. She could only see herself being a wife and mother. She was even too afraid to admit that to Riley because she didn't want to scare him off._

_What was she going to do?_

Bella looked at Bree only to see her off color and she quickly threw her credit card at the cashier and she hurried Bree out of the shop as quickly as possible.

"Breathe!" she said as she gently pushed Bree against the wall on the pavement.

Bree bent over and she put her hands on her knees as she took several long, gulping breaths.

Bella rubbed Bree's back gently until she had calmed down somewhat and her color looked much better as she stood up.

"Thanks" she said.

Bella nodded, "Have you eaten anything?"

Bree shook her head, "No for the last few days."

Bella sighed and put an arm around her, "Come on, sister, lets go and eat and you can tell me what the fuck is really going on with you." Bella said as she led her back to the car.

They stopped at a small bistro and Bella kept the conversation light until they had finished their burgers, fries and salad and they were sipping their sodas.

At a lull in the conversation, Bella put her hand on top of Bree's and she waited until Bree looked at her, "Now my dearest sister-in-law, please tell me what is going on with you because this is not like you. I know you, Bree and you are not the type to want to 'be taken care of' by anyone!"

Bree wiped a stray tear off her cheek as she looked out of the window.

"I'm so embarrassed, Bella. You are going to hate me – everyone is going to hate me! Edward will never talk to me again!"

Bella bit her lip in frustration but she kept silent.

"I – I didn't get into NYU!" Bree said quickly.

Bella's mouth opened and closed several times before she found her voice.

"What? But you said – wait, did you lie?" Bella was surprised to find that she was not as shocked as she thought she would be. Over the past eight or so months, she had not seen much of the 'book-worm' young girl that she had first met.

It seemed that Bree was always out with friends, at cheerleading practice, or on some committee or other. Bella was disappointed that Brianna had felt the need to lie to her family.

"I didn't really lie!" At Bella's slightly raised eyebrows, she had the grace to blush slightly, "Okay, Not really, maybe I embellished the truth. They did mention the possibility of a partial scholarship if I could keep my grades up when I went for my interview and I didn't." At Bella's look of disappointment, Bree defended herself, "I was distracted, okay? Riley was leaving and I was distracted…"

"Bree…" Bella began, but Bree pulled her hand away and glared at her friend, "You don't know what it's like, Bella! There is all this pressure to do well, and to be perfect and to act like a little angel – all the time and I just can't do it! I'm not like you – I can't just switch my feelings off and pretend that I don't have a life outside of school! And you love what you do!" Brianna said accusingly.

Bella felt her anger rising steadily and in that moment she wanted nothing more than to slap some sense into her friend.

Instead she sat back and took a long sip of her cold drink as she tried to rein her temper in and not do more damage to the already disastrous situation.

Finally Bella sat forward and she spoke quietly, "What exactly are you expecting me to do here Bree?"

Bree shifted uncomfortably in her seat as her conscience pricked at her. She knew what she should do – her parents and her siblings had always lived by the code of being upfront and honest and Brianna knew that her parents would only shower her with support as far as her education went, but she also knew that there was no way in hell that they would allow her to just drop out of school and live in sin with Riley!

"Well, Bells, I don't know what to say to them! I just want to be with Riley and he is freaking out! He says that he doesn't want to come home for my graduation if I haven't spoken to my folks."

"Okay, let's just take this one step at a time. First of all how could you keep this from me until now, Bree? It's almost time for spring break and you are just telling me this now? I love you but Brianna; you have got to see why your parents are going to freak out? You should have told them months ago!"

Bree had begun to cry again although this time the tears and the remorse seemed real as she wiped her cheeks with a serviette.

Bella reached over and held onto Bree's hand, "But, that being said, I am your friend and I am your sister and I will stand beside you through this, I have to say though, we have not finished talking about this and if you want my help there is another condition…" Bella made sure that Bree knew that she meant business by the tone in her voice.

Bree nodded hesitantly, "Okay?"

Bella bit her lip, "I mean it honey, I will support you through this, but you have to promise me that you will do what I ask you – no arguments!" she warned as Bree opened her mouth to protest.

Bella almost laughed at Bree's pout and her sulky, "Alright, fine!"

"Good. Now, I am calling a sibling meeting at my house tonight and you are going to tell your brothers and sisters what is going on and what your plans are for the foreseeable future," Bree began to shake her head and Bella narrowed her eyes at her, "in addition to that, you will sit and listen to what they have to say and after that, you are going to speak to your parents."

"Fuck that, they will kill me!" Bree muttered.

Bella's head snapped up and she glared at the young woman, "You know what? Right now you deserve it because you are acting like a spoilt brat! If you want me to help you then you are going to have to put those big girl panties on and man the fuck up! You want to live with Riley, but you can't even tell your parents that you didn't get into college! That is no way to start a life with someone. Now what do you say? Do you agree to my conditions?"

Bree's green eyes were bright with anger and frustration, but she knew that Bella was the best alley that she could have on her side and so she nodded and stuck her hand out, "Deal, but you had better protect me from my brothers because they are going to go all primal on my ass!"

Bella laughed for the first time that afternoon, "What the hell does that mean? 'Go primal on my ass!' – it sounds disgusting!"

Bree laughed as well and she felt the tight knot of anxiety that had been growing steadily as the months passed, ease its grip on her insides a little.

Bella phoned Edward and asked him to invite his brothers and their wives over that evening. When he asked if everything was okay, Bella's silence alerted him to the fact that there was a problem.

"Are you okay?" Bella could hear the concern in his voice.

"Yes, baby, I'm fine, but we all need to sit down, okay?"

Edward's mind raced as he agreed and he speed dialed his brothers, alerting them to the fact that there was a problem.

Jasper was the one that pointed out that Bella was with Bree that afternoon.

"Fuck! What has that kid done now? If he has knocked her up, Ed, I swear that they won't find the body!" Emmett growled.

Edward nodded, "I agree, but I don't think it's that. I think it's something else. Did you notice that when Riley came over during Christmas break he kept giving Bree these long 'meaningful looks'?. Bella pointed it out to me."

Emmett snorted, "No, but he had better shove his 'meaningful looks' up his ass or I will do it for him!"

Edward laughed as they said goodbye, but his laughter faded as he stared out of the window.

_What the hell had Bree gotten herself into now and how did it involve Bella?_

=====HS=====

Edward, Jasper and Alice all arrived at Edward's house at the same time. Bella was standing at the front door looking quite nervous as she closed the door behind her and walked over to meet them. She looked up with relief as Emmett and Rosalie pulled up in Emmett's huge Escalade.

Edward walked over and pulled Bella into a hug, "You okay?" he whispered into her ear.

Bella nodded but he noticed that she was tense, "I'm fine," she said quickly and reached up to kiss his jaw before she pulled away and turned to face the rest of the family.

"Hi, listen, before you go in, no one is in danger, pregnant or on drugs, so please stop freaking out about those things. Bree has a problem and she has asked me to 'mediate'. I told her that I would on condition that she speaks to you guys now and then she has to speak to your parents."

Bella took a deep breath as she anxiously looked from Emmett to Jasper to Rosalie to Alice and lastly to her husband.

Thankfully, Alice and Rose took matters into their own hands as they kept a hand on their husbands almost to sooth them, "Thanks for stepping in Bells, who knows what crazy thing Bree would have done if you hadn't, right darling?"

Jasper nodded, "Yeah, thanks sis. Shall we get this over with?"

Bella nodded and she led the way into the formal sitting room, before she went to find Bree, who was shamelessly hiding in the back yard as she pretended to throw the ball for the dogs.

"Bree?"

Brianna swung around as her heart began to pound.

"Y-yeah?"

"Come on Sweetie, let's get this over with."

With Bella's warm hand clasped tightly in both of hers, she let Bella lead them into the sitting room.

The sight of her brother's worried faces brought tears to the teenager's eyes immediately. She knew that they loved her, but she was so concerned about their reaction that she had forgotten how protective they were.

"I'm so sorry!" she said before she began to cry.

Bella nodded to Rosalie and Alice who nestled Bree between them on the sofa as Emmet and Jasper stood behind her, with their hands on her shoulders and Edward knelt at her feet as he patted her knee.

Bree looked up at Bella, "Can, can you tell them, please?" she said softly as Alice passed her a handful of tissues.

Bella nodded and she sat down on a chair facing them.

Bella told them what Bree had told her. Thankfully they waited until she was finished before the pandemonium broke out.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You want to live with that little douche, who probably can't even find his own co"

"EMMETT!"

"I will arrest him and you if you are having sex! I swear to God I will!"

"JASPER, you are NOT HELPING!"

Bree didn't even bother to react to Emmett and Jasper, because their responses were typical of them and she knew that Rose and Alice would be able to talk them down from any hair brained schemes that they could dream up.

Edward was a different story.

She looked over to where he was standing by his piano. His face looked angry and cold and Bree willed him to look at her. She looked over to Bella and shook her head slightly.

"I told you that they would hate me." She said quietly, but Edward heard her and he pinched the bridge of his nose before he rubbed the back of his neck.

He knew that Bree was talking about him. It was no secret that while all of his siblings loved each other, he and Brianna were closer than she was to his brothers. He felt like shit that he had been so engrossed in his own life that he had failed to see that his baby sister was heading for a complete train wreck! She was about to fuck up her life and he had not known about it – how had he and Bella missed it?

He shook his head before he looked over to his sister, "None of us hate you, Bree. I'm so sorry that I have failed you. You should have been able to come to us months ago, but you felt that you couldn't. We have let you down, Munkin, and I for one am so fucking sorry."

Bree stifled a sob as he opened his arms and she almost fell into them. Seconds later, Emmett and Jasper joined them and the sight of the tall men, holding and rocking the slim young girl with nothing but love and remorse on their faces was enough to put tears in the three women's eyes.

"We are going to get some drinks." Bella said quietly as they gave the siblings time alone.

Bella walked over to the fridge and she pulled out three beers and a bottle of white whine that she had already opened.

"Oh thank God! I definitely need a drink!" Alice said.

Bella frowned as Rosalie added ice to their glasses before she added some soda water to her glass.

"Aren't you still breastfeeding?" she asked.

Alice shook her head, "No, it's not as if Dylan is drinking from me – he just uses me as a pacifier and I'm not having my boobs hang down to my navel because my son doesn't like latex!"

The three women laughed as they tapped their glasses together. Bella was still not a lover of alcohol but she enjoyed white wine mixed with soda water and ice.

A few minutes later Jasper came into the kitchen and Bella handed him the can of soda for Bree and the three beers that she had opened.

"Are things okay inside?" she asked quietly.

Jasper gave her a half smile, "There hasn't been any bloodshed, if that's helpful, but she is as stubborn as, well, as the rest of us, I think." He smiled sheepishly and walked out of the kitchen.

The three friends spent the next few minutes talking about what they thought should happen next, when the four Cullen's walked into the room.

Bella looked from Bree to Edward and although noticed that not only Bree's eyes looked red and teary, but all four of them looked as if they had an emotional talk.

Edward immediately walked over and took Bella into his arms, "Thank you for being here for her, for us."

Bella's arms tightened around his waist, "Of course I'm here, baby. There is nowhere else that I would be." Bella assured him.

Once they sat down Edward told them what Bree's future plans were.

After he had outlined the plan, Bella looked over at Bree, "Are you in agreement with this? Because you won't get very far, if this isn't the most important thing in your life."

Brianna nodded, "I know and I promise that it will be. I know that I was pressuring Riley into making a hideous mistake and I'm sorry for what I said to you, Bella. More than anyone here, you have showed me just how much you gave up following your dream. I won't let you guys down, I promise."

They spoke for a little while longer before they decided that they would all go to Esme and Carlisle's house to fetch their children but also to present a united front with Brianna.

Bree was nervous on the drive home, but Bella and Edward kept up a light conversation as Bree sent a text message to Riley.

Riley was relieved that Bree had changed her mind. He had been terrified of what her parents and her brothers would do to him if she had followed through on her crazy idea.

Esme smiled at them as they all trouped into the kitchen where she and Carlisle were just finishing their dinner.

Emmett went over to the pots on the stove and began poking around.

Esme frowned, "I thought that you were all eating out tonight?"

Emmett's eyes opened wide and he looked at his brothers for help.

"I… um, well," he stuttered until Edward came to his rescue with a role of his eyes.

"We didn't have dinner, Mom. We actually had a sibling meeting and now we need to talk to you and Dad." He said calmly.

Carlisle pushed his reading glasses on top of his head as he quickly assessed each of his children. Besides looking nervous, the boys looked fine… the girls seemed to be fine… hmm... his astute gaze flicked back over to his youngest child.

_Bree._

For a moment he and Esme's eyes met and their silent communication was rapid and meaningful.

They turned as one and Carlisle took control.

"Why don't we step into the study? I think that we will have more privacy because the kids are in the den watching television." He said with calmness that he was far from feeling.

As he led the way, his hand tightened on Esme's waist and he felt her lean into his warmth.

"Car..." she murmured.

He quickly kissed the top of her head, "Shhhh, baby, its okay, its okay."

He hoped that it was.

Bree didn't waste any time as she quickly explained that she had gotten off track over the past year and she had lost her place at the university that she had wanted to attend from when she was little.

Esme was furious but she managed to hold onto her temper only because she could see that Carlisle was also holding onto his temper by a thread.

Carlisle wanted to turn his daughter over his knee and give her the spanking that she deserved. He realized that what had happened was partly his and Esme's fault. Brianna had been lying to them for months. When he had tersely asked where the notes from her school were, Bree sheepishly admitted that she had forged their signatures onto the notifications from her teachers that her GPA was dropping at an alarming rate.

"This is not about not getting into NYU or having some dumbass idea of forcing Riley to give up his own scholarship just to live with you while you do what? _Waitress? Clean toilets?_ Do you know how many waitresses there are in New York City?" Carlisle gave a hard laugh, "None of those occupations are any less noble than any others but they are usually held by people that cannot get another job, Brianna Jane, not because they don't want to go to school!" his voice rose steadily until his ice blue eyes were glaring at her and his normally calm face was red and angry.

"You were right to be afraid of telling us this bullshit! Quite frankly I don't give a damn if you turn eighteen in six months or not; if you want to live here, you are going to finish high school and you are going to go to college! You will get an education that will qualify you to do something with your life and that is the end of it!"

Esme hurried over to his side and put her hands on his arm, "Carlisle, please calm down, this isn't helping anyone. Please, darling."

Edward realized that Bella was shaking as she watched Carlisle pace the floor until he abruptly sat down behind his desk.

Bella could hardly breathe. She had never see such anger since she had left the Rawlings and seeing Carlisle's fury unnerved her as it brought horrific memories rushing back.

Edward stood up abruptly and he half carried Bella out of the study and into the kitchen.

He sat her on a stool as he poured a glass of water and gave it to her, closing her hand around the cool glass.

Bella took small sips as she felt herself begin to calm down.

"I'm… I'm sorry" she said.

Edward shook his head, "No baby, I'm sorry. I should have warned you that there was going to be shouting. We all know that Carlisle has the patience of Job, but if you upset him or push him to far, he has a fearsome bark, but Bella?" he waited until she looked at him, "My father will never raise a hand to Bree or anyone else in this house. Every time he spanked us as kids was done while we still fitted over his lap. He never struck us in anger, or physically abused us – no matter how mad he was."

Bella nodded as she willed herself to calm down. She believed every word that Edward told her, but the reality of seeing that caliber of anger up close terrified her.

Edward held Bella in his arms until he felt her shaking stop and eventually she pulled away.

"We need to get back in there." She said.

"We don't have to, everyone will understand." Edward said.

Bella shook her head, "I promised Brianna, we all promised her that we were going to support her in this and we can't let her down." Bella said with determination.

Edward nodded and they entered the study as Carlisle was speaking.

"… you know that we love you, Brianna, and we both accept your apology, but come tomorrow, I _am_ going to phone Principal Banner and the three of us _are_ going to interrupt his weekend to discuss your behavior. You will accept any and all punishment for lying and deceiving your teachers and then on Monday you will begin to apply to the community colleges in the area. Your mother and I will expect you to attend community college for two years before you may transfer to university – only if your grades allow it."

Bella stepped into the room and she was shocked to see Bree sitting on her father's lap with Esme sitting next to them with her arms around both her husband and child.

"Thank you Daddy and Mommy. I'm so sorry that I hurt you." Bree said as she hugged her parents.

Bella looked around and she noticed that the room was empty.

"Emmett was feeling the effects of not eating, so they took the kids home. Come and sit down." Esme said.

Edward led Bella over to a sofa and he made sure to keep her tucked into his side as he smiled at his parents.

"Bella – I must apologize to you, Honey. I didn't mean to scare you, and I was hopping mad, but you must know that I would never, ever," Carlisle began but Bella held up her hand.

"You don't have to apologize, Carlisle. I know that anger is normal, but I wasn't expecting it and it just took me by surprise. Edward talked some sense into me." Bella said.

Carlisle nodded, "But still, I am sorry for upsetting you." His eyes slid to his daughter and he patted her leg, "But as for this young lady – I am not sorry that I upset her – she is lucky that she is too big for a spanking!" He growled playfully and Brianna dissolved into giggles.

Bella frowned, "So – that's it? Everything is fine?" She didn't understand why Bree had been so stressed if Carlisle and Esme were not going to punish her for her bad behavior.

Esme shook her head vigorously, "Oh no, my dear, everything is certainly _not_ over or fine. Bree, would you like to tell your brother and sister what your future holds? It will be a good way to remember all of our conditions."

Bree nodded and she began to tick off all of her conditions on her fingers, "So, I am not allowed to drive – unless it's to school and back home or to my job that I have to get within the next week. I am grounded for the next four months – no parties, socializing unless mom or dad say so and there has to be adult supervision. I may only speak to Riley twice a week and if I uphold all of my conditions and my grades improve, I will be able to see him when he comes home for the summer. In addition to graduating well, I have to attend summer school for additional credits and I have to be enrolled and accepted in community college within the month. I have to live at home and I'm not going to be allowed to move into the garage apartment for the next two years." She gave Edward and Bella a sad smile.

Bella knew that the last condition was a huge blow to Bree. She had been talking about moving into the garage apartment as part of her 'rite of passage' ever since Bella had moved out of it.

"Don't forget the apologies that you owe Edward and Bella." Esme prompted.

Bree stood up and walked over to Bella. She sat down next to her and took her hand, "I'm so sorry Bells. I used you and I took advantage of your good heart. You have only ever loved and protected me and you have always given me good advice and today wasn't any different. I'm glad that you told me to accept the consequences of my actions. I'm so glad that you are my sister and my friend."

They hugged each other and then Bree apologized to Edward as well before she was excused and she made her way upstairs to bed.

Thankfully the conversation turned to more mundane things and before long Bella and Edward left.

They sat at the kitchen counter eating grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup later that evening.

Edward stood up to take their plates to the sink but he paused and cupped Bella's cheek in his hand, "You are one of the most extraordinary people I have ever had the privilege to meet, Isabella Cullen." He leaned down and captured her lips.

Bella moaned as he stood up again, "Can you imagine if we were parents now? God! Imagine having to deal with a drama queen like Brianna or a food pit like Emmett! I'm so glad that we have time love. You are still young – I'm definitely not ready to play the 'bad guy'."

Bella's hands gripped the edge of the counter as her jaw dropped at Edward's words.

_What the fuck? Was he serious?_

He turned and filled the sink with soapy water as he continued to prattle away, "Yeah, we have made the right decision, that's for sure!" as he began to wash the dishes.

"What do you think, love?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Um, yeah, yeah of course!" Bella said quietly.

Luckily he did not turn around and see Bella's face at that moment because she was pale and looked slightly green.

_Fuck, he's changed his mind!_ She thought to herself and she decided there and then to go back on the pill the very next day.

That night she washed away all traces of her silly tears, _Edward was right, they should wait a while,_ she told herself firmly.

She steadfastly ignored the small quiet voice inside her that nudged her and asked: **what if you are already pregnant, Isabella?**

=====HS=====

Three weeks later, right before the Easter Weekend, Bella Swan-Cullen stood in front of the family drug store in Woodstock, wringing her hands together and looking up and down the street nervously.

Her period was late and if her research was correct, it was very late and she was very pregnant.

Bella could not go to Kebi or Edward until she knew for certain. She had spent hours checking out the Internet, but she was more confused than ever. According to the World Wide Web, she was either pregnant, had a tumor, was dying of a dread disease or imaging it all!

She had panicked at the thought of anyone from Hope Springs seeing her here, but she didn't have another choice.

The entire Cullen clan, including the Hales was going to have a huge Sunday lunch in a couple of day's time and there was so much preparation to do still. Thankfully she had checked Edward's schedule and he was going to busy with appointments so she had no reason to be afraid of running into him.

She took a step into the store as inconspicuously as possible and with her face burning brightly she quickly made her way up and down the various isles until she found the shelf of pregnancy tests which was situated right next to the condoms.

Someone had a sense of humor, she thought as she quickly threw a few into her basket and walked to the till.

"Hiya Mizz Cullen!"

Bella thought that she was going to pee in her pants!

She almost threw her basket at the cashier as she turn around slowly, "Oh! Hi Mr. Thompson, Mr. Newton, h-h-h-how, um how are you?" she asked as the woman rang up her four pregnancy tests and sang out the total.

Mike Newton Senior looked from Bella to where the cashier was bagging her purchases. He didn't have his glasses on but he would swear that she was in the 'sex' aisle! Humph, no wonder she had looked like a petty criminal pacing outside nervously!

"What are you up to?" he asked her gruffly.

Bella jumped as she pushed way too much money into the cashier's hand.

"N-nothing?" she bleated out.

Mike snorted, "We're here to get this 'old man's' prescription filled – he can't piss straight anymore and doc says he should keep away from the whores, but we all know that he can't do that, whoremonger that he is!" Mike said at the top of his voice, ignoring the gasps of shock that echoed around them, as he poked Pete in the ribs.

Pete shoved his friend to one side and the two men cackled together.

Bella closed her eyes and shook her head, _how was it that she had to meet these two here of all the people in her town?_

She whispered an apology to the woman at the till, grabbed her parcel and hightailed it out of the store. She didn't stop running until she was safely inside her car.

Her heart was pounding as she drove out of the town and it was only when she pulled up in front of her home that she let out a deep breath.

She spent the afternoon hiding the pregnancy tests. Every time she thought of a hiding place, she would be over come with nerves in case Edward found her stash and she would quickly move it again.

Then Bella thought of the perfect hiding place – genius, actually.

She took the paper bag and duct tape and headed into the back yard.

Roscoe and Apples followed closely behind. Roscoe was mostly concerned about his Bella's mental stability. She had been talking to herself all afternoon and what was worse was that it seemed that she was arguing with herself – that just was not normal – even for humans!

Apples loved her mistress's new game and she bounded behind her. When she saw where Bella was headed, she got even more excited – the present in Bella's hand must be for her! Yay! Apples loved presents.

Twenty minutes later and one less roll of tape, Bella made her way into the house to shower and change for her lunch date with the girls at the Purple Cow.

Bella smiled as she sat down with Alice, Rosalie and Makenna.

"What have you been up to on this non-school day? You look all flustered," Alice commented at Bella's over bright eyes, flushed cheeks and her wet hair that had been pulled up into a messy bun.

Bella shrugged, "Nothing much," she mumbled as she buried her nose in the menu.

Makenna leaned forward and stared at her friend, "Bells, what's going on with you? It's obvious that you have something on your mind."

Bella sighed and put her menu down and looked at the three closest friends that she had in the world.

"I want to have a baby-" she began but Alice quickly interrupted her.

"So have you told Edward yet?" Alice asked suddenly.

"No, Al, I told you, it was just a thought, that's all. Edward was right: I'm too young, my career had just begun and I can't drop Seth like that! Besides, we have only been married for a little while!" Bella said firmly.

Alice turned to Rosalie as if Bella hadn't spoken, "What do you think Ro?"

Rosalie looked at Bella in sympathy before she spoke up, "I think that you should mind your own business, Alice Cullen and stop talking out of turn. You know how things get exaggerated in this town and before we know it, everyone will be running around telling Edward that Bella is pregnant!"

"BELLA IS PREGNANT?" Every head in the diner turned to where Jessica was standing with her mouth hanging open.

"What? No! NO!" Bella's face was scarlet as she stood to her feet but she knew that if she didn't stop this immediately, Edward would hear the 'news' within minutes, "Please, listen to me: I am not pregnant, nor are we trying to get pregnant! We were just talking –" she gestured weakly to Alice and Rosalie.

"Why not?" a gruff voice called out, "We saw you buying all those 'sex thingies' in Woodstock, girly!"

Bella looked around the completely silent diner and she noticed for the first time how crowded it was.

"EXCUSE ME?" Bella all but shrieked.

She spotted Billy Black and his cronies in a corner and she groaned inwardly. Old man Thompson, spoke up again.

"I said: Why. Not?" Pete Thompson wondered if there was something wrong with the young missus Cullen. _Was she hard of hearing?_

"Well, um, well, because, um…" Bella stammered at a complete loss of what to say.

"Oh dear! Is it his plumbing, honey? Its okay, sometimes the plumber is willing but the pipes need changing. My third husband was like that – he was six five and powerful, but the poor thing had two inches of –" Miss Tessa said sympathetically as Darla and Cathy nodded. Jeffers tittered about a 'waste of a beautiful specimen'.

Bella felt the blood draining out of her face as she realized that the town gossips were sitting in the diner.

_Fuck! She was never going to be able to contain this clusterfuck! Thank heavens she had hidden the tests where no one would ever find them._

"Oh I think that our young Doctor has all the pipes that he needs, Tess! Remember when we accidentally walked in on him and Bella in the bathroom that time…" Cathy said feeling the need to defend her boss.

Bella looked around wildly for some support. _There had to be some way out of this nightmare!_

"Look! We don't need help – we 'work' just fine and our sleeping habits are none of your business!" Bella said

The front door bell sounded as it closed behind the Cullen brothers.

_Fuck me, _Bella thought,_ can't I catch a break?_

"I think that you need to have a talk with your father about the 'birds and the bees, Son," Pete shouted across the diner, "Because you are never going to get Bella pregnant by _sleeping_ together! I wouldn't have thought that you were backwards in coming forwards, Edward – it takes more than sleeping! Did you send her to buy the sex toys?" He said loudly.

Edward felt his jaw drop as he stared first at Pete and then at his wife who had gone from scarlet to the palest shade of green who was standing next to the booth in the center of the room.

His day had just gone from strange to downright otherworldly.

Up until a little while ago, Edward's day had proceeded normally: he had left home early that morning, and he had taken care of the morning patients, working alongside with Jeffers – until he had received a call from Jasper that Apples was loose in town, he hadn't thought anything of it until he had caught up with the dog outside his mother's shop.

She was seemed to be covered in duct tape? Edward knew that Apples loved to dig and she also loved shiny things but where on earth had she gotten duct tape from, he wondered as he tried to catch her.

Apples dodged him halfheartedly but she really wanted to open her present that she had spent a while taking off the inside of the roof in her kennel.

Edward spotted Bella's car outside the diner and he quickly sent a text to Jasper and Emmett to meet him there for a bite to eat later. His idea was to ask Bella for her car keys and take Apples back home, before he returned to eat a late lunch.

Well, that was his plan until he walked into the diner and heard the end of his wife's tirade.

Bella had paled alarmingly when she saw him.

For the first time Bella realized that Edward was holding Apples by her collar, but what was the worst thing was that her dog was covered in silver duct tape and in her mouth she gripped the now torn brown paper bag with her tongue hanging out the side.

"Aaagh, Bella? Could, um, could I see you for a minute?" Edward asked quietly. Apples chose that moment to give her present a 'death shake' and she dropped it triumphantly as the 'guts' spilled out of the bag and four packets of pregnancy test spilled out onto the diner floor.

Bella did the only thing at that she could – she fainted.

**A/N: **

**This was inspired by my fabulous Beta Fiorella. She put ideas into my head! Only two or so chapters to go and then the epi, folks.**

**We will finish around chapter 41.**

**xoxo**


	38. Chapter 38 - Making babies is supposed t

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The story line of HOPE SPRINGS belongs to me.

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**At the end of chapter 37 – **_

_**Bella had paled alarmingly when she saw him.**_

_**For the first time Bella realized that Edward was holding Apples by her collar, but what was the worst thing was that her dog was covered in silver duct tape and in her mouth she gripped the now torn brown paper bag with her tongue hanging out the side.**_

"_**Aaagh, Bella? Could, um, could I see you for a minute?" Edward asked quietly. Apples chose that moment to give her present a 'death shake' and she dropped it triumphantly as the 'guts' spilled out of the bag and four packets of pregnancy test spilled out onto the diner floor.**_

_**Bella did the only thing at that she could – she fainted.**_

**CHAPTER 38 – Making babies is **_**supposed**_** to be fun**

"Bella, baby? Come on Sweetheart, open your eyes."

Bella heard the familiar velvety voice and she smiled as she stretched, "Hmm, not ready to wake up," Bella mumbled.

The voice chuckled softly and Bella felt a cool hand caress her cheek, "Come on Baby, I need to see those beautiful eyes of yours." Edward whispered.

Bella's eyes flickered open and she was surprised that she didn't recognize the ceiling, or the room. She wasn't at home… hmm.

Suddenly it all came back to her – buying the tests, hiding them, arguing with the town elders at the diner, Edward holding Apples, the pregnancy tests on the floor…

"Fuck!" Bella tried to sit up only to be held down by Edward pined her shoulders gently to the sofa in his office.

"Stay still for a moment, Bella. You fainted and I need to check and see if you hit your head."

Bella huffed but she remain still as Edward gently felt around the base and back of her skull before he nodded to himself and sat back on his hunches, satisfied for the moment that Bella didn't have a cracked skull.

Bella wondered how she was going to get out of this mess that she had created until Edward very gently placed a finger under her chin until her eyes met his reluctantly.

"I'm sorry." Bella whispered as she felt her chin begin to wobble and a lone tear rolled into her hair.

Edward shook his head as he tenderly cupped her cheek, "Oh baby, no! You don't have to apologize to me! There is nothing to be sorry for." At her look of disbelief, Edward chuckled, "Bella, this town hasn't had this much drama since Brady Smith set the science lab on fire on the 7th Grade; and no one even remembers that, except Emmett because he and Jasper were involved."

His eyes softened, "What I'm saying is that whatever the hell went on today will blow over by next week." He lowered his voice and leaned closer to her, "In fact, I have it on good authority that our Police Chief is getting close to nailing the notorious 'panty bandits' – and it looks like it could be one or more of the older members of our town…" he winked at her playfully.

Bella gasped as her eyes widened.

For several weeks some of the more easily accessible yards had been subjected to petty thieves. It seemed that some of the more 'flimsy' delicates had been stolen from several wash lines.

"Really?"

Edward nodded as he grinned, "Really. Right now, Jasper has three suspects in custody for questioning. I really don't think that anyone is going to remember anything else that happened this afternoon because the reporter from the _**Vermont Central Times**_ may or may not have received an _anonymous_ tip and the story may or may not make the front page of Monday's paper."

Bella lay looking up into Edward's beautiful face for a moment before she spoke up, "I love you Edward Cullen and I truly don't deserve such a wonderful man." She said quietly.

Edward's smile faded slowly as the merriment in his eyes gave way to the concern and the slight hurt that he couldn't help but feel.

"What happened baby? I'm not angry with you, I'm just confused and concerned, so can you tell me what's going on?" he asked.

Bella nodded before she asked if she could use the bathroom first.

Edward helped her to sit and then stand up and when she made her way to the bathroom across the hall, Edward quickly buzzed the reception desk and he asked Kathy for two cups of tea and a bottle of water.

Bella was surprised that her sisters-in-law were not in the waiting room. Perhaps no one had actually seen anything, she thought as she used the toilet and washed her hands.

=====HS=====

As Edward waited for Bella to come back, he thought about the scene at the diner just a while before:

_Edward shouted as he watched Bella's eyes role back in her head and she began to crumble to the purple and white checkered floor._

"_NNNOOOO!" Edward's loud shout rang out._

_Alice had surprised everyone with the speed and agility that she used as she shot out of the booth wrapped her arms around Bella's waist and she moved so that Bella fell backwards onto her own small frame._

_Edward was by Bella's side in seconds, unmindful of the fact that Apples had jumped up onto the table where Billy, Pete, Mike Senior and Bob Mackey were sitting and she had pulled several pairs of ladies panties from the canvas fishing bag that Bob always seemed to carry around with him._

_The next thing, Jasper was frog marching Pete, Mike and Bob to the police station, while Mike apologized to the diners for his grandfather's appalling behavior and after Edward quickly checked Bella over for any obvious injuries and Alice picked up Apples 'bounty' and discreetly pushed the packages into her purse, while Rosalie had secured Apples with the ever-present leash that she kept in her purse and Makenna had quickly paid their bill._

_Edward picked Bella up and he insisted on carrying her back to his surgery which was thankfully on the next block._

_He was surprised that his sisters-in-law had not wanted to accompany him, but he was grateful that Rosalie promised to take Apples home for him._

=====HS=====

Bella opened her husband's office door.

"Hey love, come and sit down," Edward said as he held his arm up and Bella snuggled close to his side.

Bella sighed as she listened to Edward's steady heartbeat beneath her ear.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Bella nodded, "Yes, I'm fine, I just feel stupid for causing such a scene in the middle of town."

"There is no reason to feel stupid. I just want to know what Apples was doing running around town looking as if she had been hogtied with duct tape and carrying a bag full of pregnancy tests!"

Bella held her breath and waited for him to connect the dots, but it seemed that Edward was not thinking clearly because the next thing that he said shocked her, "These darn kids and their practical jokes! It gets worse every year before the weather warms up."

Bella bit her lip. She should just admit it and come clean, but she was scared. _What if she wasn't pregnant? What if he really didn't want kids now? What if he didn't want her anymore?_

_STOP IT!_ She told herself firmly.

"Bella? Are you okay? You look really pale, love, I think that you should go home and lie down. Let me just clear my calendar and I will take you," he began, but he was interrupted by a knock on his door.

Before he could speak, Rosalie and Alice stepped into the room.

"Hey Bells, are you feeling better?" Rosalie asked.

When Bella nodded, Alice smiled, "Good, because we have come to take you home."

"I was going to do that…" Edward began but Rose was already shaking her head as she picked up Bella's purse and shoes.

"Nonsense, you have other patients to see, let us take her home." Alice said with a warm smile.

Bella didn't trust her sister-in-laws one bit. They were looking too innocent.

The decision was taken out of their hands when Edward's phone rang. Tommy Mackey had fallen off his bike and it looked as though he may have broken his arm.

Bella hurriedly said goodbye before she was whisked away and deposited in the back seat of Rosalie's truck.

Bella fidgeted nervously as Alice and Rosalie chatted quietly as they turned into Bella's driveway.

"Wait there," Rosalie instructed as she and Alice climbed out and then put an arm around Bella's waist to lead her up the steps to the front door.

Bella wanted to grumble but she was too busy wondering what they knew and so she allowed herself to be led to the plump sofa in the great room, where she sat down. Alice pushed an ottoman under her feet and Bella opened her eyes to see Makenna pouring tea into four cups.

_Oh shit, this was not good._

Makenna, Alice and Rosalie sat down and Bella nervously picked up her cup and sipped the hot liquid.

After about three minutes of complete silence Bella cracked.

"OKAY! What do you want to know?" she shouted.

Rosalie, Alice and Makenna grinned at each other before they looked at Bella.

"Why don't you start with why you bought four pregnancy tests in Woodstock this morning?" Alice said as she took the packages out of her purse.

"And where the hell did you 'hide' them with an entire roll of duct tape?" Rosalie arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"And why didn't you tell us? Any why haven't you told Edward?" Makenna asked.

Bella sat back in her seat.

"I think that I misunderstood Edward. I asked him to have a baby just before we – you know," she took a deep breath, "he said 'yes' but I don't know if he meant it, because when the thing with Bree happened, he was so happy that we were not trying to have a baby and I didn't know what to say. I just decided to go back onto my pills because I still had a prescription for them, but I think that I may have already been pregnant." She clasped her hands between her shaky knees before she sighed.

She looked at her friends, "I just wanted to be sure before I told him and what if I have screwed this up by taking the pill? What if I've damaged our baby? What if he doesn't want this and… and I'm alone again?" Bella whispered the last part as large tears rolled down her cheeks.

Edward stood in the doorway staring at his wife with his heart beating ridiculously fast. After the girls had left something had clicked in Edward's head and after he was able to ask Ned to handle the Mackey kid and Jeffers had volunteered to take the other patients, Edward drove home quickly.

The front door had been open when he arrived and he had walked in to hear all of Bella's hurried explanation.

_He was such an idiot!_ His mind raced backwards and he recalled making passionate love to Bella right in their kitchen.

He recalled her saying something about 'baby' but at the time he had not been thinking clearly. He did remember making those thoughtless comments after they had come home from his parent's house, but he had never ever wanted Bella to think that he wouldn't want a baby with her!

_How could he have fucked up so badly?_

Edward watched as Bella put her head into her hands as she began to cry. The sound just about broke his heart.

He must have made a noise because the three women looked up. He could see accusatory anger on Rosalie's face, while Alice was vibrating with disapproval. Makenna was the only one who seemed sympathetic and she smiled at him.

She put a restraining hand on Alice and Rosalie's arms and nodded to the front door.

"I think that we should leave these two alone." She said.

Bella hadn't heard Edward come in and she was unaware that her friends had left until she felt the sofa dip next to her and two strong arms lifted her and pulled her against a hard, warm chest.

Bella stiffened, but Edward only tightened his hold as he pressed tender kisses to her hair.

Finally Bella's tears dried and she took a shaky breath as she clutched Edward's damp shirt in her fingers.

"I'm so sorry –"

Edward shook his head vigorously, "You have nothing to apologize for, my Love! Nothing! It's me who should be begging for your forgiveness for being an insensitive buffoon!" he put his hands on her shoulders until Bella reluctantly met his eyes.

"Bella, I love you so much and I would never, ever want you to think that I don't want a baby with you. I can't wait for your belly to grow round with our baby. I'm sorry if I made you think that I didn't want this, Sweetheart. I only said that we should wait because I didn't want you to feel pressured, okay?"

Edward brushed the hair that had fallen out of her makeshift bun out of her eyes. Her beautiful chocolate colored eyes looked slightly dull and sad and Edward pressed his lips to her eyes, cheeks, nose and finally her mouth before he pulled back again, "I love you Isabella Cullen and I would be so very happy if you are pregnant with our child."

Bella felt her mouth lift slightly, "Yeah? Really?"

Edward nodded, "Really and truly."

Just then Bella's stomach rumbled loudly and Edward laughed at the pretty blush that spread across her cheeks.

"Hmm, it seems to me that we need to feed you. Is there anything in particular that you want to eat?" he asked.

Bella shrugged as her blush deepened, "I have a hankering for maple chicken and a lime milkshake, actually."

Edward laughed softly as he moved Bella off his lap and stood up, holding onto her hand.

"Why don't you go and get changed while I feed the dogs and see if Bentley's has a table for us?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded eagerly and she went upstairs to change into a pair of black pants, sliver sandals and a pretty black and silver top. She brushed her hair and quickly pulled it into a high ponytail before she washed her face and applied a light dusting of makeup.

Both Bella and Edward enjoyed eating out at Bentley's, a lovely restaurant in Woodstock that served a mixture of cuisine with great local quality produce.

Bella was well aware that they had not yet talked about when she was going to take the pregnancy tests, but Bella wasn't feeling nearly as anxious as she had been. Now that she knew that Edward supported her no matter what the outcome was, she knew that she could wait.

Edward fed the dogs before he walked outside to check their water bowls.

He immediately noticed that the top of Apples unused kennel had been knocked off the base and he could not help but laugh as he saw the remnants of duct tape stuck on the inside.

If he lived to be a hundred, he didn't think that he would ever understand how Bella's mind worked – and he found that he loved her even more for it.

After he righted the kennel and he had given them fresh water, Edward headed upstairs. He gave a low whistle of approval when he saw Bella sitting at her vanity, applying a coat of mascara.

Bella rolled her eyes, but Edward noticed her pleased smile when she thought that he wasn't looking.

"So, we have reservations for a table in forty minutes. That just gives me time to jump into the shower." He said and he could not resist pulling his shirt over his head before he toed off his shoes and unsnapped his pants. He knew that Bella was staring at him in the mirror and that just put an added spark to his impromptu striptease.

As he walked into the bathroom he turned around and winked at her, "If you are lucky, maybe you will get a repeat performance at the late show after dinner." He said with a crooked smirk.

Bella realized that he had known that she was watching him all along and she stifled a giggle. It wasn't her fault that her husband was such a drool-worthy specimen.

Fifteen minutes later they were driving to Woodstock. Edward held Bella's one hand in his own as he deliberately kept the conversation light.

They pulled into the parking lot and Edward quickly kissed Bella's fingers before dropping her hand and climbing out of the car. He held her door open for her and flashed his best crooked smile that he knew melted her heart.

The waitress showed them to a table near the back and Edward ordered a micro brew for himself and a non-alcoholic apple cider for Bella and he quickly ordered a couple of flatbreads and a basket of tortilla chips and salsa before they placed their orders.

Bella's mouth was watering as she ordered Maple Mustard Chicken, which consisted of a chicken breast, that was crusted with pecan nuts, baked and served with a maple and mustard sauce and was paired with roasted red potatoes and fresh vegetables, while Edward ordered one of his favorite dishes, and one of Bentley's specialties, the Jack Daniel's® Steak. It consisted of a New York Strip, rubbed with black pepper and flamed at the table with bourbon.

Within minutes, their starters had arrived and Edward could not contain his smile as he watched Bella rip pieces of the garlicky flatbread and pop it into her mouth before she scooped large helpings of salsa and sour cream onto the chips before she closed her eyes and hummed in contentment as she chewed on the succulent morsel.

Her low moans did nothing to help the growing problem in Edward's jeans and he shifted a couple of times as he tried to think of things that would 'calm' him down.

_Esme and Carlisle kissing – no, no help there, okay, hmm, Esme and Carlisle kissing, naked, on the stairs… okay, that's better._

He looked up to see Bella lick her small fingers and his eyes darkened as he watched her pink tongue lap at her moistened fingers before she licked her lips and looked up at him with large innocent eyes.

"What's wrong, darling?" Bella asked breathlessly. Fuck, she could see how turned on Edward was by the way that his nostrils were flaring and his eyes were almost black.

It had seemed like a fun idea to tease him a little for his striptease earlier, but now she wondered at the wisdom of her impulsive actions.

"E-edward?" she stammered slightly.

Edward's dark eyes flicked to her eyes and his narrowed as he realized that she had deliberately set out to provoke him.

"Don't think that I will forget this, Missy. There will be repercussions to this." He almost growled before he took a long drink of his beer, while Bella shifted in her seat.

He was so damn sexy when he was aroused and frustrated.

Just then their waitress appeared and Edward quickly ordered another beer. A few moments later, their main course was served and as always it was delicious. Edward almost chocked on a bite of steak when he felt Bella's small foot rub against his inner thigh.

"Isabella…" he warned her.

Bella smiled and raised her eyebrows in silent challenge.

"Suddenly I'm not so hungry…" Bella whispered across the table.

Edward swallowed and shook his head as he captured her toes with one hand.

"You are going to be the death of me, Isabella. We will leave soon, but I want to talk about today first, okay?"

Bella's smile waivered at Edward's serious tone and she tried to sit up but he would not let her foot go.

"Don't get defensive, love." He coaxed her gently and Bella relaxed again.

"Why do you think that you are pregnant?" he asked as he stroked her foot under the table.

Bella let out a sigh and she immediately pushed her food away.

"I'm late," she whispered as her eyes darted around the room.

Edward let go of Bella's foot and he sat forward and caught her hands in his, "Don't be scared, my love, this is a wonderful thing, but of course I'm concerned about you. Bella, please look at me," he waited until she looked up, "I meant what I said this evening. Nothing would make me happier than to become a father with you. Do you believe me?"

Bella nodded, "I do, but I'm just scared, you know. I hadn't really thought about what it would feel like and if my dates are correct then I think that I'm almost at the end of my first trimester, just like I was before…" her words slowly sank in and Edward wanted to scoop her up and rush her off to Kebi to check out, but he knew that she was watching him and she would take her queue from him. If he freaked out, then she was going to as well.

Edward took a deep breath, "Would you like your milkshake now?" he asked.

Bella frowned as she looked at her plate of half eaten food, "I think that I've lost my appetite suddenly. Can," she looked around before she looked back at Edward, "Can you take me home? I want to go home."

Edward nodded and he motioned to the waitress to bring him the bill, but not before he asked for their food to be wrapped up and for two extra large lime milkshakes to go.

Once they were outside, Edward put the bag containing their food and drink on the hood of the car and he pulled Bella into his arms.

"It's going to be okay, Sweetheart. I've got you. We are in this together remember? I love you Bella, and nothing will ever change that, I promise." He whispered into her ear as he held her tightly.

Bella's hands clutched Edward's arms and she reveled in the feel of being held so tightly. It made her feel secure and protected and it was exactly what she needed to calm down.

"Are you okay now?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded.

Edward checked his watch and looked at his wife, "I would like to ask Kebi to do some tests tonight. I think that it will put both of our minds at ease, because otherwise, I don't think that we will do much sleeping tonight."

Bella bit her lip, she hated being a bother, but she also needed to know and she found herself nodding.

Edward sighed in relief as he pulled his phone out as they sat in the car and he dialed Kebi's number.

She was on nightshift at the hospital and urged Edward to bring Bella in immediately.

Bella felt that the next five minutes were the longest of her life and by the time that Edward pulled into the hospital, she was almost hyperventilating. Edward kept a hand on her thigh as he drove but he could see that Bella had zoned out. She almost jumped out of her skin when Edward opened her door and she realized that they were at the hospital already. All that she could think about was the last time that she had been there – the pain – the blood.

Suddenly her shoulders were gripped and she was spun around to face her husband, who was almost glaring at her, "Stop it right now! Your pulse is racing and that's not good for you. Let's just see what Kebi has to say, alright?"

Bella was biting her lip so hard that she thought she was going to taste blood, but she managed to nod and she let out a small sigh as Edward's large hand closed around her small one.

Kebi was standing just inside the doors. Her beautiful face showed only affection and warmth as she greeted Edward before she tucked an arm through Bella's.

"How have you been, Bella?" she asked in her soft accented voice.

Bella shrugged, "I'll tell you once we know the results." She said with a nervous chuckle, which sounded more like a sob.

Kebi glanced over at Edward and she saw the concern in his eyes.

She opened her office door and motioned them both inside.

"Now, you two, fretting and agonizing is not going to help anyone, so why don't we just head into the examination room and we can get some answers okay?"

Bella undressed and she sat down on the small bed, while Edward sat next to her, holding her hand tightly.

They were both lost in the memories of the last time that they had been in that position and Bella tried desperately to control the nausea that was making her stomach role dangerously.

Kebi walked in holding Bella's folder in her hands.

Edward was never more grateful that Kebi was such a soothing person as he watched how she calmed Bella down by asking nonthreatening, seemingly innocuous questions.

"_How is your appetite, Bella?"_

"_Have you been stressed at work?"_

"_Are you sleeping well? How many hours a night do you sleep?"_

"_Is anything worrying you, Mon petit? How is your husband treating you?"_

She asked the last question with a wink at Bella as she mock frowned at Edward.

Bella giggled and she finally relaxed.

Kebi took her blood pressure again and noticed that it had dropped significantly from when Bella had arrived.

Kebi held Bella's hand in hers and she smiled gently, "When was your first day of your last period? Can you remember?"

Bella bit her lip, "Um, my last _full_ period date was January 23rd."

Edward opened his mouth to question her further but at Kebi's quick warning glare he shut his mouth again.

"Have you had some bleeding after that, Mon Petit?"

Bella shrugged, "I thought it was a period, because it was late, but it was more brown then red and it only lasted for two days – that was in February." Bella could feel tears burning at the corners of her eyes but she willed them away.

Kebi squeezed her hand reassuringly as she looked from Edward to Bella, "Bella, there are many reasons why a woman has a bloody discharge in her pregnancy that are quite none threatening. Let's not jump to any conclusions until we are sure, okay?"

Just then a technician walked into the room and greeted them quietly before she directed Bella to lie down and the paper gown was pushed up before the cold gel was put onto her flat stomach.

Bella held on tightly to Edward's hand as he leaned over her protectively.

"Hey," She looked up at him, "I love you." He whispered and Bella smiled at him.

"I love you too."

Bella turned to face the monitor.

The technician and Kebi held a quiet conversation as Edward concentrated on Bella.

Suddenly he heard it and he couldn't help the gasp or the rush of tears that flooded his eyes as his head shot up.

Bella stared at the blinking dote on the screen blindly before she looked at Kebi and then over at Edward.

Both were grinning from ear to ear and if Bella needed any further proof, the tracks of tears pouring down Edward's cheeks told her everything that she needed to know.

"Yes? I'm pregnant?" she asked breathlessly.

Kebi nodded as she discreetly wiped a tear from her eyes. She narrowed her eyes in warning at the technician who would never dream of spreading the story of how the seemingly unemotional Doctor Malek was crying!

"Yes, Isabella, you are very much pregnant! Look at the screen. Bernice, what are your calculations?"

Bella didn't hear the rest of the technician and Kebi's conversation. All she could hear was the loud, solid beating of their child's heart.

A very healthy, growing, and _living_ baby.

Edward could not stop crying and kissing Bella and they eventually pulled apart when they both needed air in their lungs.

Bella pressed her forehead to Edward's as they laughed breathlessly, both unmindful of their tears.

"I love you!" Bella gushed as she held Edward's face in her hands.

"I love you and I love" kiss, "love", kiss, "love this baby!"

Kebi thanked the technician and asked her to print out four copies of the pictures. She knew that neither Edward nor Bella would take in many of the details and that they needed some time to comprehend the miracle that had occurred.

She cleared her throat and Bella and Edward looked at her guiltily.

"Okay, so I want to draw some blood but it seems as if you are going to have a baby in about 27 or 28 weeks time! Now, I know that you have a ton of questions, so why don't you get dressed Bella, while Edward goes to the doctor's lounge and rustles up some of their spectacular hot chocolate and we all meet in my office?"

Edward felt as if he was floating through the hallways. All he could think about was the sight of his baby inside Bella's stomach as the tiny but steady heartbeat filled the room.

_I'm going to have a baby! I'm going to have a baby!_

Edward's hands were shaking so badly that one of the other doctors, who knew him, took pity on his dazed and frazzled appearance and soon, Edward was carrying a tray of two hot chocolates and one bottle of cold water back to Kebi's office.

He walked into the office just as Bella took a seat in one of the chairs facing the desk.

"Come and sit down, Edward. I was just explaining to Bella that the discharge that she experience after conception could very well have been caused by a little lining coming away and that it is nothing to be concerned about."

Bella's hand reached out and Edward clasped it in his as he shifted his chair closer to her. He could feel Bella's anxiety and he knew that her fears of a miscarriage were very real to them both, even though he knew from his medical training that miscarriages rarely occurred more than once, unless there was an underlying reason and Bella had been cleared by Kebi after an extensive amount of tests.

"Kebi does everything seem normal for Bella's stage of pregnancy?" Edward asked more for Bella's benefit than his own.

Kebi nodded, "Everything looks really good. From the date that you've given and from our calculations, you are about 12 weeks along Bella. I've put a rush on your blood work Bella, and I should have that by tomorrow morning but so far, if we assume that everything is accurate then that means that the danger period is almost over. I will feel more confident once you are at 14 weeks, but having said that, please let me reassure you that the baby appears perfectly developed and right on target. The placenta is lying in a normal position and there does not appear to be any threat of tearing or rupture in the amniotic sac."

Bella was nodding but she still felt afraid.

Kebi leaned forward and patted Bella's arm, "Relax, Bella. This is supposed to be a happy time!" she grinned and Bella felt herself smiling back. "You are going to have a baby and from what we can see today, it is going to be a robust and healthy child."

She sat back and looked at Edward, "Now, with that being said; because you have had a miscarriage, you both need to be extra vigilant; Edward, do not hover, but please be attentive to Bella, especially until we have the next sonogram." She looked at Bella, "And you, Isabella – I want you to relax! Try to rest every day in the afternoons after work; let Edward fuss over dinner and spoil you. Listen to your body and if you begin to bleed, or have any kind of cramping or pain, I want you to call an ambulance and I want you to get in here as soon as possible, is that understood?"

Bella nodded and Kebi continued, "I am only saying this so that you are aware – there is a less than one percent chance of you having a miscarriage, but there is always a risk. Many times we are able to stop the miscarriage, if the patient gets to us in time. Last time, you didn't know what to expect and that is why I want to see you every two weeks until the end of your second trimester."

Edward couldn't stand that tension that he felt coming off Bella in waves any longer and he scooted his chair backwards and pulled her onto his lap.

"Edward, how is Jeffers working out?" Kebi asked.

Edward nodded, "He is a great asset to the practice, thanks so much for recommending him."

Kebi nodded, "Well, I'm really pleased that he is so close to you, because I would like to get him on board with Bella's case. An extra pair of hands is never wasted and Jeff is a remarkable midwife and nurse. I would like you to see Jeff every other week Bella, just for the next little while so that he can monitor your blood pressure etcetera."

When Bella looked to protest Kebi held up her hand, "Now I know that this may seem excessive, but you need to remember that you live in a family of doctors and you have a medical history so would you rather have Jeffers and I look after you or would you prefer to have Edward and Carlisle following you around with a wheelchair and a stethoscope?" Edward huff and rolled his eyes while Bella giggled at the visual that she got but she noticed that Edward didn't deny Kebi's claim.

"Okay! Okay! You've convinced me – you and Jeffers it is." Bella said.

Kebi smiled and winked at her, "I thought that you would see things my way. Okay, here is your prescription for your prenatal vitamins, these are your first pictures of baby Cullen and I will see you in two weeks time. I will speak to Jeffers on Monday and he will contact you for your first appointment with him."

Bella stood up and hugged Kebi, "Thank you, so much Kebi."

"This visit brings me great joy, _Cherie_" Kebi as she hugged first Bella and then Edward.

As they walked out of the hospital, Bella stopped walking suddenly and she let out a loud squeal. She startled Edward and he swung around, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Bella let out a loud shout of laughter as she held Edward's hands and swung herself around, "I'M PREGNANT!"

Edward burst out laughing and thankfully he caught her as Bella leapt into his arms.

"I'm pregnant, Edward, I'm having a baby! I'm having your baby!" Bella said as she pressed her forehead to his.

He tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers, completely unmindful of the evening pedestrians walking around them.

"Yes, you are my only love." He let Bella's body slide down his body, tormenting him as he felt every inch of her body.

"Hmm, let's go home Mrs. Cullen, I want to make love to my wife." He said against her lips.

"Great idea, Doctor Cullen!"

Between their excited chatter, Bella managed to drink her watery milkshake and Edward promised her that he would buy her a shake maker that weekend.

Before the front door was properly closed, Edward and Bella were scampering to get out of their clothes.

Eventually, they managed to discard their shoes and jeans and Edward made love to Bella on their staircase before he carried her upstairs and made love to her again in their bed.

Apples snuggled closer to Roscoe as the humans settled down for the night. She had no idea what had gone on that day; all she knew was that she had fun. She found treasure, played 'catch' with her Edward before she was brought back home in a car (she loved to ride in cars!) and the lovely human Rosie had given both her and Roscoe huge bones.

_Life was really good, maybe the next day she would be able to capture a butterfly..._

=====HS=====

Roscoe finally managed to wake his master up the next morning and Edward staggered downstairs to let the dogs outside while he put on a pot of decaffeinated coffee and he fed the dogs.

Bella came skipping downstairs as she tied her short silk robe. She was humming softly as she thought about making eggs for breakfast – eggs sounded great. Just then she smelled the dogs bowls of food and she clamped her hand over her mouth as she raced to the downstairs toilet.

When she sat back on her heels, Edward was kneeling behind her, rubbing her back and holding her hair out of the way.

"You don't have to do this babe."

Edward just smiled as he got up and he wet a face cloth with warm water and handed it to her.

"I can't carry _Little Bit_, but I can do this." He said quietly.

Bella felt her insides warm at his words, _Little Bit_.

Tears suddenly flooded her eyes and she giggled as Edward wiped the tears away with his thumb.

"Hormones!" Bella said.

"It's allowed" Edward said as they walked into the hallway.

Bella was hesitant to go back into the kitchen with the smell of the dog food that she had never found offensive before.

Edward led her towards the stairs, "Why don't you go and take a shower and let me air out the great room. I will start breakfast as well, what do you fell like?"

"Eggs!" Bella said firmly as her stomach growled.

"Well, okay then! I will see you inside in a few minutes."

Bella took her time to shower before she changed the sheets on their bed and put all their clothes and the bedding into the hamper. She was about to pick it up when Edward walked into the bedroom.

One look at the disapproval on his face to his arms crossed firmly over his chest and Bella knew that she was in trouble.

"Isabella? There is no lifting to be done for the next six months, baby! You heard Kebi!" Edward rebuked her.

Bella rolled her eyes, "Come on, Babe. I'm not an invalid!"

Edward cocked an eyebrow as his green eyes hardened, "Not yet, but do you want to be?"

Suddenly Bella saw the real worry in Edward's eyes and she backed off, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. You are right, thank you."

Edward nodded, satisfied that he had got his message across firmly, "Come on, your eggs are ready."

After breakfast, Edward pottered around the garden while Bella did some light housework. Edward kept popping up in whichever room she was in, 'just in case she needed his help', but Bella knew that he was making sure that she didn't exert herself.

Edward showered and changed into a pair of dark jeans and a plain white button down shirt, while Bella wore a pretty pale blue dress that flattered her small frame.

They loaded the dogs into the truck and then they put the pies on the back seat before they set off for Esme and Carlisle.

They had decided that they would announce their good news during lunch because Bella was sure that Edward's over protectiveness would give them away sooner rather than later.

The rest of the family had already gathered outside and Bella greeted everyone before she sat under a large umbrella next to Rosalie.

"Sooo, little Bells, is there anything that you want to tell us?"

Bella felt her cheeks heat up as she pretended to misunderstand Rosalie.

"Oh, we went out for dinner to Bentley's last night – it was really great as always."

Rosalie's eyes narrowed, "You have until after lunch spill the details before Alice and I 'out' you."

Bella bit back a retort as Esme chose that moment to walk outside with Megan and Alice.

"Bella! Those pies look delicious! And you clever girl, you made enough for my 'wolf sons' to take home with them!"

Bella laughed, "Em phoned me last week already to put his order in for Italian Easter Pie so what I did was after I baked them, I divided the pies so that the guys could choose slabs of each to take home, that way Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle don't end up fighting over the Pumpkin or the Blueberry Lemon. I also made the kids' favorite, Peanut Butter Pie."

Megan smiled as she sat down on the other side of Rosalie, "Thank heavens we don't live here – I would be rolling down the road at this rate! How did you become the 'Pie Queen' around here?"

Bella explained that she had not been able to cook when she first came to Hope Springs and that Edward had gifted her with a cooking course, which had given cultivated a love for cooking and baking. Bella loved to experiment and Edward had begun to run two extra miles each day to combat the effects of Bella's cooking.

"Wow, you are a very talented young lady, Bella! Edward is a lucky man." Megan said.

"You have no idea!" Rosalie commented snidely with a sideways look at Bella.

Alice snorted from across the table and Megan looked at her daughters with a frown, "What is with you two today? You are worse than Chelsea and Emma – honestly you girls get sillier every time I see you!"

Bella tried to hide a grin but Rosalie spotted her and she jabbed her in the side with an elbow.

"OW!"

Seconds later Edward was by her side, checking her over with his hands and his eyes and fussing, until Bella had convinced him that she was fine.

Edward turned to chastise his sister in law when he happened to look up and see every adult staring at him and Bella with expressions that ranged from puzzled and shocked, to barely contained excitement.

"Um son, is everything okay?" Carlisle broke the silence as he watched Edward run his hands very gently over Bella's flat stomach.

He bit back a laugh, he knew that feeling of overwhelming protectiveness that he had felt each time Esme had blessed him with a baby and he saw the same fierce look in his son's eyes.

Edward whispered something to Bella and after she glared at Rosalie and Alice she nodded and kissed his cheek and Edward rose to his feet bringing Bella with him.

"We were going to save this for later, but thanks to 'Pinky and the Brain' here," he looked at his sisters in law, "we may as well do it now: Bella is pregnant – we are having a baby!"

For one moment there was complete silence before Esme and Megan began cry and the next minute Bella was swallowed up in a fresh round of hugs and congratulations.

The women moved into the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal that Esme and Megan had spent the past two days preparing and Bella was bombarded with questions.

Carlisle came inside to slice the roast lamb, and before long, everyone was seated around the beautifully decorated dining room table with plates laden with all sorts of meat and side dishes as Edward and Bella relayed all the information that they had.

Carlisle pronounced the blessing and the conversation rose in volume again.

"How is Bree doing?" Bella asked.

Brianna had been fortunate to get a job working at Sam and Emily Uley's store, the _Organic Connection_. Surprisingly Bree had embraced her punishment and her grades had already shown a vast improvement. She was not going to graduate at the top of her class, but she would graduate with a few credits from her AP classes and she was also going to be taking a couple of summer classes.

Bree had also applied to and been accepted to the community college nearby. Instead of trying to get out of working, Bree had surprised everyone by taking a huge interest in Sam and Emily's business and even more specifically she was taking an interest in production and preparation of organic foods and produce. She enjoyed interacting with the local restaurateurs and chefs that frequented Sam's store and one more than one occasion, Bree had driven to one or another restaurant to see how the fresh produce was converted into healthy and delicious meals.

Esme teased her that she had received free cooking lessons at home for years but Bree just laughed as she insisted that she was learning something new.

By the time that lunch was finished and all the leftovers had been divided up and put into disposable containers to be taken home, the men had led the children on an Easter egg hunt and with little persuasion the children had all crashed for an afternoon nap in the den, while the men watched a replay of one of the baseball season's opening games.

Esme and Bella cut slices of the various pies and they were set out buffet style on the dining room table with pots of tea and coffee.

The women took their plates and sat outside on the back porch.

Esme smiled at Bella, "So, I received an interesting phone call from Miss Tessa yesterday. It seems that there was quite a scene at the Purple Cow yesterday…" After a couple of moments Bella could not keep a straight face any longer.

She put her head into her hands as she began to giggle. Alice and Rosalie looked at each other and were soon doubled over with laughter as they thought over the previous day's escapade.

Finally Bella calmed down enough and at Alice's prompting, she told them about what had happened, beginning with her 'covert' drive to Woodstock to buy the pregnancy tests.

By the time that she told them about how she tried to sneak down the aisles looking for the tests, they were shrieking with laughter, which drew the men outdoors.

As they were about to walk outside, Edward stopped them. He knew that Bella was going to stop talking if she saw them and so Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Edward and Brandon hid behind the floor to ceiling shutters as they listened to the story.

"… and then Pete goes on at Edward about getting 'lessons' from … Carlisle and" Bella took another breath, "finally he asks Edward if…" Bella shook her head in remembered mortification, "if he sent me to buy _the sex toys_…"

Edward quickly closed the sliding doors as he and the rest of the men lay on the floor behind the wall of the sitting room and howled with laughter.

Emmett had a pillow from the sofa stuffed in his mouth as he snorted and laughed, while Jasper and Carlisle sat wiping tears of mirth off their cheeks.

"Sh! Sh! She's talking again!" Brandon shout whispered and the sight of him crawling on his hands and knees to the door set Emmett off again.

"Bella, you must have been horrified!" Megan said with a giggle as she blotted her mascara.

Bell rolled her eyes, "It was like watching a train wreck about to happen and being powerless to stop it. The worst was when I realized that Apples had found my stash and it was in her mouth! And when she shook and tore the bag – well that was just the end of it for me and I fainted." Bella said with a shrug as she took a sip of her sparkling apple drink, while the others laughed around her.

Suddenly she felt a small fission of electricity and she knew that Edward was close by.

She looked over at Esme, only to find her giggling like a five year old.

Bella sighed, "He's behind me isn't he?" she asked no one in particular.

Alice, Rosalie and Megan nodded with absolute glee.

"Bloodthirsty little suckers," she mumbled under her breath as she turned around to face him. Up until that moment, Edward had no idea what had gone on the day before.

When Bella turned around she saw Emmett, Jasper, Brandon, Carlisle and Edward bent over, as they literally rolled on the ground with laughter.

Bella could not stop the laughter that bubbled up inside her from coming out and soon the only sounds were intermittent comments from the group:

"Stop laughing – I'm going to pee in my pants!"

"Oh Gosh, my stomach is so sore from laughing…"

"Carlisle, you do realize that your kids would provide any psychiatrists with years and years of study material…"

"Shut it Brandon! Your kids are included in this mix!"

Finally the children woke from their nap and everyone besides, Bella and Brandon, who had injured his ankle a couple of weeks before, played a game of lawn football, including Esme, Megan and the children.

The game had to be kept 'kid friendly' and Bella warmed the pies, whipped up the fresh cream and took the ice-cream from the freezer to allow it to soften slightly while Brandon piled a tray with plates, serviettes and mugs.

They carried everything outside just as the game finished and Bella wasn't surprised to have her tray pulled out of her hands by Jasper, "Hey now Darling, you'd better get used to not lifting things for the next few months or else we are going to have a problem." He said as he gave her a wink and carried the pies to the long trestle tables on the lawn.

Bella turned to fetch more pies, but warm hands gripped her waist, "Why don't you go and take a seat next to Mom. I will make sure that everything else comes outside." Edward spoke next to her ear.

Bella turned around to protest, but she got distracted when Edward's lips made contact with her own.

The rest of the afternoon and evening passed in typical noisy 'Cullen' style.

=====HS=====

Bella was relieved when Kebi called her the following day and told her that all of her blood work had come back and everything was normal. A day later Bella received a call from Jeffers. She rolled her eyes as she listened to him gushing and squealing for a full three minutes before she interrupted him.

Thankfully he was making the call from the suite of offices that he used to consult with patients and where he also held his 'mommy and me clinic'. Edward was not surprised to find that Jeffers' prenatal classes and clinic was a huge success.

Bella had been sworn off all exercise for the foreseeable future, except for walking and so she took a slow walk to Edward's offices after school later that week.

Kathy frowned as Bella opened the front door, "Bella, are you okay?"

Bella blushed and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine thanks. I, um," shit! She hadn't really wanted to tell everyone that she was pregnant just yet, but she didn't see any way around it. Just as she was about to disclose the reason for her visit, Jeffers walked into the open area.

"Miss Bella! Oooh, don't you look scrumptious today!" he turned around and smiled at Kathy, "Hon, I'm going to just take Miss Bella back to give her a vitamin shot – you know, pre flu season and all!" he smiled at everyone and waved his arms in the air, "Prevention people! That's the key! Even for you, Mrs. Brady, don't you let your husband breath his nasty germs on you!" he teased the 87-year-old woman, who blushed like a schoolgirl.

Bella shook her head and hid her laughter as she pulled Jeffers down the hallway.

"Come on '_Lothario_'! Honestly, does Claude know that you are such a manwhore?"

Jeffers laughed and smoothed down his artfully mussed up blonde hair, "Oh please, my Claude knows that I only do sausage, darling! Kitty never really interested me."

Bella blushed as his words sank in but she couldn't help the giggle that escaped which made Jeffers grin, "I knew that underneath that 'blushing bride' persona lurked a little smut-monkey! Come on girl; let's see what _'Doctor Good love'_ has been up to!"

Once they were in his office, Bella was relieved that Jeffers became one hundred percent professional. He had read the copy of her file that Kebi had sent via courier and he knew whatever she did about Bella's pregnancy.

After he had taken her blood pressure, and he had weighed and measured her, Jefferson asked Bella to take a seat in one of the armchairs that was tucked away in a corner of the office.

Jeffers had redecorated the three small rooms that Edward had allotted to him. The rooms all had a homely, comfortable feel to them. There was a small sofa and two mismatched armchairs in one corner that were covered in a pale blue covers. Scatter cushions in different fabrics and patterns added splashes of color to the room.

The small bathroom felt more like a guest bathroom rather than a doctor's bathroom. The walls were lined with antique postcards that had been framed, while a pretty blue blind ensured privacy at the window.

Jeffers poured them each a glass of Virgin mint julep tea as he sat across from her, "Okay, Miss Bella, first of all, I think that your dates are fairly accurate, which means that you are thirteen weeks along and just into your second trimester and everything looks fine. Your weight is perfect, because you are small framed, but as long as you continue to eat a healthy diet, which I will give you before you leave and as long as you take your prenatal vitamins, there is no reason for concern."

Bella felt relief upon hearing the news. "So everything's okay?"

Jeffers face lost his customary sardonic smirk as he reached out to take her hand. His blue eyes softened, "You need to relax, Miss Bella. There is no reason to think that you will not give birth to a healthy and if I may say so, genetically 'breathtakingly' beautiful baby in autumn."

Bella felt tears flood her eyes and she blushed.

Jeffers told her to 'sit tight' and he quickly moved to a book case behind his desk as he gave Bella some time to recover.

Bella blew her nose and sipped her tea. Her hormones were the only indication that she wasn't herself. One moment she was happy and the next she wanted to cry or scream. Edward had been trying to encourage her to speak to his mother or sisters about their pregnancies but Bella was almost afraid to bring the subject up.

She knew that her fears were unfounded but she still worried that if she fixated on the baby inside of her, she would somehow lose it.

Jeffers came back and sat down before he put a small stack of books, brochures and a couple of DVDs on the table between them.

Bella's eyebrows shot up, "What's all this?"

Jeffers smirked, "This, my dear, is your homework for the next month."

"What?"

Jefferson laughed, "That's right, Mrs. Cullen, you are going to read all of these books, pamphlets and brochures and you are going to watch both DVDs. I expect you to make notes and write down all the questions that either you or your husband has and we will be discussing them when we meet every second week until you are done." Bella opened her mouth to protest but Jeffers waved her back into her seat, "It's no good protesting because _if_ I decide to take you on as a client, you will have to follow my rules."

"_If you decide_? Are you fucking kidding me?" Bella felt her anger rise.

Jeffers lost his smile and glared at her, "Listen here Bella, let's cut the bullshit, shall we? You are petrified that you are going to lose this baby as well. You feel as if you don't deserve to have a healthy and perfect child and you don't know how your husband still loves you. Am I right?"

The silence in the room was thick with tension as Bella stood with her back to the room. She felt her resolve begin to crumble as Jefferson's words struck her heart.

"Am. I. Right?" he asked softly.

Bella turned around slowly and nodded, "Yes,"

Jefferson nodded, "Good, now please come and sit down so that I can tell you my story. Bella, Kebi has been my mentor and champion for many years. She knew my family and when I was growing up, she watched me struggle with my sexuality and sexual orientation. My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps and become a doctor, so that's what I went to university to study for, even though I never wanted that. My mother wanted me to marry a petite, pretty blonde girl and that's what I was about to do when Kebi stopped me."

Bella was shocked. She would never have thought that the openly homosexual man sitting opposite her was anything like he was describing.

"What happened?" she felt compelled to ask.

"Kebi called me two weeks before my wedding and asked me to have dinner with her and her family." Jefferson smiled at the memory.

"Sandy, my fiancé couldn't attend and so I went alone. Claude was there and I knew as soon as he looked at me that I could never commit my life to a woman that I had less than no feelings for. I agonized for the next four days, but I finally told Sandy and then my parents that I was never going to be a doctor and that I was not marrying Sandy because I am gay."

Bella gasped, "What did they do?"

Jeffers smiled sadly, "Well, I haven't seen them in ten years, and at first I did everything that I could to push Claude away, I didn't feel as if I deserved to be happy, but he never gave up on me. So Claude and I moved to Montpelier and I got my nursing and midwifery degree and I worked hard in therapy for a few years to become comfortable with having people love me. I worked with Kebi for about five years in Woodstock before we saw this place and the rest you know."

Jeffers reached over and took Bella's hand again, "The point is, I could have been afraid all my life, Bella. I know that I've never lost a child, and I can only imagine what that must feel like, but I did lose a family. Do I deserve another one? Yes I do! Do you deserve to have another baby, or tons of babies? Of course you do! You are good, kind, loving and you will be an amazing mother. Edward will be a wonderful father and you have every reason to expect good things!"

He stood up and pulled Bella to her feet, "Now; no more bullshit! You are going to be happy and you are going to buy baby things, and share this amazing experience with your husband, family and the rest of this crazy town, do you understand?" he held her shoulders as he gave her a mock glare.

Bella bit her lip and nodded, "Yes, Sister Jeffers,"

Jefferson laughed, "That is a compliment, Darling! Now, let's talk 'turkey'."

For the next half an hour, Jefferson pointed out chapters in the three books that he had given her that were of particular interest. There was a book on first pregnancies, one on high-risk pregnancies and one on the baby's development from conception to age five.

Bella noticed that the books were brand new and when she queried this, Jefferson reassured her that he kept copies of the publications and he would be charging her for them.

Just before she left, Jefferson knew what Bella needed and so he smiled as he reached for his phone and dialed Edward's extension number.

"Hi. Can you come in here for a minute?"

Seconds later Edward flew through the door with a wild look in his eyes, "Is everything okay? Bella? Love?"

Jeffers shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Relax, Doctor Cullen, she is fine. I just thought that you two would like to get another peek at Little Turkey?"

"_Little Turkey?"_ Edward growled.

Jeffers grinned and nodded, "Hey don't blame me that you are having a baby around Halloween or Thanksgiving! You should be grateful that we don't name him or her Spooky or Zombie, now let's see if LT is awake."

By the way that Bella's face lit up, he knew that he had made the right decision. In spite of everything, Bella just needed to know that her baby was alive and growing.

Edward held both of Bella's hands as Jeffers turned on their new state-of-the-art ultrasound machine that had been delivered three months before. Jeffers had begged, pleaded and argued for one until Edward, Ned and Carlisle had given in. Edward had been pleased to purchase one at a great price and the added bonus was that Jefferson was fully qualified to conduct the scans. He was a closet techie, and Edward and Ned teased him for pouring over medical technology magazines every chance that he got.

The new machine could be used for all of their ultrasound requirements, not just obstetrics and Edward had not been more pleased than when he heard his baby's heartbeat a moment before he saw the baby bird like fluttering on the screen.

"Well, will you look at that? One healthy little turkey just basting away in mommy's tummy." Jeffers grinned at Edward's half scowl.

=====HS=====

As the weeks passed without any indication that Bella's pregnancy was in jeopardy, it seemed that everyone in the Cullen family began to relax and enjoy the coming summer.

Brianna had surprised everyone as she finished her school career with a decent enough grade to be offered a part-time apprentice to a 5-star culinary school in Stowe, provided that she took two years courses in nutrition and hygiene at the local college.

The chef at 'Saunters Culinary School and Eatery' was a terrifying looking Frenchman by the name of Gerard du Pont, who drove all the way into Hope Springs to collect his fruit and vegetables. He had met Bree and for some reason, he was taken with her. It was Gerard that encouraged her to take a part-time job at his restaurant for the summer.

Esme and Carlisle were a little weary of the attention that Gerard showed their youngest child, but their fears were put to rest when Gerard and his beautiful wife, Izebella, dropped by to see them. Izebella assured them that Gerard's intentions with Bree were strictly professional and so they gave their permission.

Bella was happy to be on holiday, and she could not believe that she had been working for a full school year already.

Seth had dropped by her classroom to see her as she was closing up the room for the holidays.

"How are you doing, Bella?" he asked as he perched on the corner of her desk.

Bella smiled at him, "Oh I'm fine thanks Seth. We are almost at seventeen weeks now, so almost halfway through."

Seth nodded, "That's good, that's good. Look Bella, you have become a valuable member of our staff and we really don't want to lose you, but I know that you need time off for when the baby comes. Do you know what you want to do yet?"

Bella had been wondering about this herself. Edward wanted her to stay home, but Bella loved her job and she didn't want to take two or more years off from teaching.

"I would like to take off from when the baby comes to spring break if possible?"

Seth nodded enthusiastically, "That's what I was going to suggest. If you work up until the end of September and then come back after Easter, would that be okay? We have excellent baby care facilities and you will be just down the hall, and…" Bella laughed when Seth had to stop babbling to take a breath.

"Seth! Stop! You don't have to convince me, I promise. I love this school and being here, and Edward and I have been to see the nursery and it's wonderful. Mrs. Donnelly is so good with the babies. So, if your answer is, yes, I will be coming back and don't forget that you will still see me for the writing club. It's taken off so well, that I don't want to drop it. I will just bring Little Bit with me."

Seth smiled, "Little Bit?"

Bella blushed, "That's what Edward calls him or her. It's better than Little Turkey, which is what my midwife calls him."

Seth laughed, "That guy is a real character. Anyway there was something else that I wanted to talk to you about. Have you given any more thought about getting your Masters Degree? I know that you have a lot on your plate, but I must tell you, Bella, at the last Governing Body meeting that I went to, your name came up. It seems that people are expecting great things from you."

Bella's mouth popped open in shock. She really hadn't given it much thought recently, but when Seth and his wife, Claire had gone to dinner at Edward and Bella's house, Seth had brought up the subject of a succession plan for the role of principal and he had asked Bella if that was something that she would be interested in.

Bella was hesitant because she loved to teach, but Seth had quickly pointed out that he still taught Mathematics from grades five to eight.

Bella was at a loss for words but Seth spoke again, "Look, Bella, you are a very gifted teacher. You really care about these kids and it shows and you don't stop with only your class or grade. You seem to make time for every child, even if you don't know them and they thrive from the attention. I'm not going to say that being a principal is all fun and games, because there is a lot of red tape and bullshit, but it is very rewarding, especially if you have the parents and the governing body behind you."

Bella shrugged, "It's tempting, but Seth, getting my Masters while having a baby and teaching? How the hell am I going to do that?"

Seth grinned with satisfaction and Bella narrowed her eyes at him, "What have you been up to?"

He pulled an envelope from behind his back and put it on Bella's desk before he moved swiftly to the doorway, "I just took the liberty of making a few enquiries for you, you know just in case? Anyhow, have a great summer, Bells!" he winked before he hurried out the door. He whistled as he made his way across the parking lot to his car. He knew that Bella would not be able to resist. It was going to be a great summer, he thought as he headed home.

Bella was tempted to throw the envelope in the trash bin but at the last minute she hissed as she tucked the offending package into the side of her new wheelie basket that Edward had insisted that she use instead of carrying her heavy bag to and from the car each day.

Just the thought of Edward brought a smile to Bella's face. As she cast a final look around her empty classroom, she thought of how Edward treated her like a princess ever since they had found out about the baby.

Every evening Bella was treated to a foot, neck or back rub. She barely had to voice a craving or a want for some food or drink and it would appear. Edward held her when she cried the very first time her jeans didn't fit her and then he made love to her for hours to prove how desirable he found her.

When she had screamed at him for tracking mud into the house, he had stoically bit his lip until it almost bled before he had ushered her off to his mother's shop, while he gritted his teeth and mopped the floors.

When she ate spicy food and then spent the rest of the night with an upset stomach and indigestion, Edward had spent two hours convincing her that she was not having a miscarriage before he fell asleep on the floor outside the bathroom door, while Bella cursed her cravings.

The man was a saint and Bella loved him more than ever, which was another reason that Bella didn't feel as if she could even think about studying again.

=====HS=====

Three weeks later Edward and Bella sat in Kebi's office. Bella could not stop her legs from bouncing as Kebi went over her latest test results.

"So Bella, I am happy to report that everything is normal. Your weight, blood pressure, fetal movements are all one hundred percent normal and so we are taking you off the 'high risk' pregnancy list."

Bella frowned, "Are you sure? I mean, what if something happens? What if I have cramps or bleeding? What if?"

Edward put his hand over Bella's where it lay protectively over her swollen belly.

"Sweetheart, nothing" he began but Bella interrupted him.

"Don't say that! You don't know, Edward!"

He sighed inwardly as he recognized the wide eyed panic in her eyes. The occurrences of her fear driven blind panic attacks had lessoned over the past months, but there were times like now, that Bella was certain that something was going to go wrong.

"Baby, come on, nothing is going to happen to Little Bit. We are going to have a very healthy and happy baby in twenty weeks time. You need to have faith, remember?" he said patiently.

Bella nodded before she looked at Kebi and mumbled an apology.

"Bella, all mothers-to-be have fears. I have told you that the pregnant woman is also prone to bed dreams and irrational thoughts. Now, let's go and take a look at your little one and see if we can see what color Esme and Alice is going to be decorating the nursery!"

As always Kebi's calm manner helped to sooth Bella's fears. She felt the excitement return as she lay down and felt the cold gel spread across her belly.

Almost immediately they heard the strong steady sound of the baby's heart.

Suddenly Kebi laughed softly, "Look at that!"

Edward's head shot up and he stared hard at the screen, "Is that…?" the technician nodded and Edward's smile grew wider than Bella had ever seen it.

He looked at Kebi, "Are you sure?"

"Of course we are sure, Edward." Kebi nodded to the technician who pointed at the outline.

"That is a very clear picture of your daughter sucking her thumb. Congratulations, Bella and Edward, you are having a girl!"

Bella didn't even hear the rest of the conversation, all she could see was the startlingly clear image of their daughter, _oh God, their daughter!_

=====HS=====

Bella didn't remember much of their drive home that day. All she wanted to do was to rip Edward's clothes off and 'celebrate' their daughter.

Just thinking those words in her head made Bella giggle and Edward shook himself out of his own baby-induced daze to look over at his wife.

_God, she was beautiful_! Everything about her was almost iridescent with the pure joy that was seeping out of every pore! Her eyes sparkled and shone with an inner fire, her face glowed as her hand skimmed over the adorable baby bump.

She looked so damn cute in her short, flirty sundress and white strappy sandals. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that bounced with each movement of her head.

_Sexy. Very sexy._

Edward felt a familiar stirring in his jeans and he shifted uncomfortably.

Their eyes met as Edward's hand slid over her thigh, inching beneath the soft cotton.

"Fuck, you are beautiful!" Edward said almost to himself.

Bella felt a jolt of desire at his words. Edward didn't curse often and when he did, it went straight to her nether regions, which seemed to be one of the only cravings that she had in her second trimester. She loved sex! She craved sex! Every day and _all the time!_

Bella knew that on a couple of occasions, Edward would deliberately try and distract her or tire her out, but his ploy seldom worked.

He would look at her with wide startled eyes as her gaze darkened and she licked her lips before she pounced.

Edward's protests were half hearted at best. He loved every moment of his new horny wife. He teased her that she was a teenage boy in a woman's body with her appetites for food and sex.

Bella's eyes drifted down to the bulge in his pants and she bit her bottom lip, "Anxious to get home, love?" she asked coyly.

Edward grinned as he rolled his eyes. His foot inched down on the accelerator.

"I'm more anxious to take my gorgeous wife to bed and spend the rest of the day showing her how much I want her." He retorted.

They both sighed with relief as Edward swung his car into the driveway and they hurried inside.

As the connecting door to the garage close behind them, Edward gently pushed Bella against the wall as she dropped her purse on the richly polished floor.

"I want you so badly, Edward."

Her words caused the fire raging inside him to ignite into an inferno.

His face changed and Bella felt a thrill as it morphed into something almost feral; his eyes were black as he growled deep in his throat before her dress was push off her shoulders, exposing her puckered nipples. He loved her heavier, fuller breasts and he pushed her white sheer bra down as he lips followed, sucking and nipping the rosy flesh.

Bella pushed her hands between them as she fumbled with his leather belt. The sound of his zipper was loud in the quiet house. Their ragged breathing sounded harsh and animalistic, coupled with their grunts and growls.

Edward's hands gripped the hem of her dress and he pushed her legs apart roughly.

"Edward!" Bella's eyes widened as his fingers gripped the wispy fabric of her panties and he pushed it aside before his finger plunged deep inside her waiting heat.

"Now! Fuck, I have to have you now!" He growled.

His hands gripped her ass as she pulled his leaking cock free.

With one movement Bella lifted her legs to grip his hips as he drove deep inside her.

"FUCK! That's it, baby! Fuck me!" Bella ordered, wild with lust.

"Like that?" thrust "Huh? You want me to fuck you like that?" thrust, thrust. "Tell me! Tell me now!" thrust, thrust.

"YES! Oh, oh, g-Edward, ngghh, I'm cu-cumming! Edwardddd!"

Edward threw his head back as her walls fluttered around him and he let out a loud triumphant laugh, "Not" thrust "finished" thrust "with you!" thrust.

Bella wrapped her arms around his neck as she buried her face into the crook. Her fingers gripped his hair, pulling it into even wilder disarray.

"I love you… I love you…" Bella chanted as Edward drove deep inside her over and over again.

She felt her climax spiraling again and she began to counter each of his thrusts until they exploded with a shout and a wail.

Edward's legs were shaking uncontrollably as he held Bella firmly and lowered them both to the floor.

Once Bella felt as if she could breathe again, she lifted her head.

The entrance hall looked as if a bomb had gone off. The small table next to the front door had been knocked over and the vase of summer flowers was lying on its side, with water and flowers scattered everywhere.

The hat stand that held their umbrellas was leaning precariously to one side.

Bella shook her head and began to giggle.

"Wow…" she said.

Edward lifted his head from her shoulder and he laughed, "We are like a two-person demo crew!"

"We need to shower," Bella said.

Edward agreed and with a grimace at the separation, he stood up, tucked himself back into his jeans without bothering to zip them and helped Bella to her feet.

She blushed at what she must look like. Her dress was hanging around her waist, her bra had been pushed under her breasts and her panties were soaked with their combined juices.

Her eyes skimmed over Edward. His jeans were unzipped and balancing on his hip bones, exposing the deep 'V' and the trail of burned bronze hair that she loved.

Edward saw her lick her lips as she whimpered and he couldn't help himself from adjusting his half softened dick quite blatantly.

Bella's cheeks blushed deeply and she stumbled towards the stairs. She couldn't believe that after _that_, she wanted him again! She was turning into a real slut!

"Um, shower." She mumbled.

Edward snickered under his breath as he put a supportive hand on her back, "Yeah, um, shower."

=====HS=====

Bella and Edward were eating dinner with Carlisle and Esme that evening. Bree's grounding had been modified for 'good behavior' and she was having dinner with Riley and his family.

After their shower, followed by an afternoon 'nap', they cleaned up the house, took the dogs for a walk and fed them, before they drove the short distance to the farm.

They found Esme putting the finishing touches on dinner. She smiled and hugged them warmly before she told Edward to drag his father out of his study and away from the pile of files that he had been working on. Carlisle had begun to volunteer at the free clinic in nearby Reading and it seemed that their record keeping skills were not what they should be.

Esme shooed Bella over to the breakfast island, where she 'allowed' her to make a large mixed salad as they chatted amicably. Bella knew that Esme was almost bouncing off the walls as she waited for news of weather the newest addition to the family was going to be a little girl or another boy.

"How was the visit with Kebi, Sweetheart?" Esme asked as she stirred some heavy cream into the peppered mushroom sauce that she was preparing for the steaks that Carlisle and Edward were going to grill.

Bella bit back her laughter, "Good, really good. Kebi sends her love and she is excited to see you and Dad next weekend."

Each year, the two couples tried to take a long weekend when they went to a cabin in the woods that they rented.

The cabin was owned by a friend of Amun. The 'cabin' was made of wooden logs, and was rustic but that is where the similarity with a 'log cabin' ended. The house that they rented out was finished with the last word in luxury. In winter when they were knee deep in snow, the huge fireplaces warmed the entire house, while in summer, the glass walls that opened up onto a wraparound porch, allowed the cool breezes to blow through the rooms.

Esme hummed, "I honestly can't wait. It seems that the more we should be slowing down in our old age, the more that there is to do!"

Bella laughed, "Old age! Honestly, Mom, you and Dad are the most active people that I know!"

Esme laughed, "Yes, well, with us it seems that the less we try to do, the more we end up doing. I just don't think we would know what to do with ourselves if we lived in some retirement village somewhere."

Bella's smile faded, "I don't like to think of you and Carlisle not being here." She said quietly.

Esme wiped her hands on a towel and hurried to her side, where she pulled her into a quick hug, "Oh darling girl, Carlisle and I are just fine and it will be a long time before we are ready to go anywhere."

Bella closed her eyes as she willed the silly tears back. She knew that it was probably just her hormones but the thought of not having Esme or Carlisle around burned a hole in her chest.

As she let Esme's unique smell of earth, sunshine, cookies and mint wash over her, she felt a calm and peacefulness deep inside her.

"I'm going to be a mom, May-May." She whispered.

Esme blinked her own tears away as she kissed Bella's forehead and stepped back, "Yes, you are and you are going to be the most wonderful mother, Bella. You and Edward are going to pour your hearts into this blessed child and even though you will make mistakes, both of you will, this baby is going to be so loved and cherished by all of us."

Bella let out a shaky laugh and Esme walked back to the stove to check on the baby potatoes that were roasting in the oven with freshly roasted garlic, olive oil and sprigs of herbs from the garden.

"Did you and Carlisle make mistakes?"

Esme dissolved into snorts of laughter, "Oh Bella, we screwed up all the time – still do in fact. A point in case is our darling daughter lying to us for months!"

She took the potatoes out of the oven and turned to smile at Bella, "Go and see if the boys are finished grilling, will you?"

Bella nodded and walked outside to see Carlisle and Edward standing at the grill with beers in their hands.

"Hey Dad," Bella said as she walked over to kiss his cheek.

"You are looking beautiful, Bella. Edward's just finished telling me that you are no longer a 'high risk'. That is excellent news." He said with a crooked smile that was so like his son's.

Bella nodded, "It is good news. Esme asked if you are almost ready?"

"I was just letting the steaks rest, so we can go ahead and eat."

Esme had sat the table outside and they enjoyed a leisurely dinner talking about their plans for the rest of the summer and Carlisle's involvement with the clinic. Carlisle kept them entertained with tales of the town's activities and his role as mayor.

When there was a lull in the conversation Edward took Bella's hand in his and cocked an eyebrow at her.

Bella smiled and nodded. She looked up to see Esme and Carlisle watching them keenly.

"Well? Come on you two! Don't keep us waiting any longer!" Esme said.

Edward and Bella shared a smile before Edward looked at his parents, "We are having a …daughter. It's a girl."

Esme clapped her hands and then she and Carlisle were on their feet hugging each other before they hugged Edward and Bella.

"Congratulations! A girl! Oh! I am so ready for another little girl! Oh Bella! I can't wait to get started on the nursery! Castles? Fairies? Oh! Sandcastles and seashells! No! Underwater wonderland!" Esme looked like an addict that had received a fix – her eyes were closed as she swayed and clasped her hands, "Hmm, I can see it now - all pink and pretty…"

Carlisle looked at Bella and Edward, "If you want to have any say in your baby's room, you had better step in now, because if she has her way…" he chuckled as he took another sip of his beer.

Bella looked from one to the other, "Aren't you going to do something? Say something?" she asked.

Edward shrugged while Carlisle chuckled again, "Nope! She is in 'Granny May-May' mode; nothing I can do to stop her."

Bella narrowed her eyes at the two men, "You. Both. _Suck_!" she said as she got to her feet.

Carlisle's eyebrows shot up, "Suck? Now you sound like the rest of my kids."

Bella shook her head and concentrated on the problem at hand.

"Mom? Mom! Esme! HEY!" she shouted.

Esme looked at her in shock, "What? Oh Bella what do you think of…"

Bella held out her hand, "Stop! Please! We can talk about the nursery another time, right now; can we just enjoy the fact that we are having a baby girl? And Esme – no pink – not now or ever!"

Esme sighed impatiently, "Oh, okay! But you aren't any fun. I'll be over tomorrow to measure the room."

"Mom…" Edward said in a gentle reprimand. He didn't want to make Bella anxious and he knew that his mother and his sisters could drive anyone crazy. He also knew that when they heard the news, Alice and Rosalie would be rushing over to try and muscle in on the interior decorating.

The rest of the night passed pleasantly and it was one of the few times that Bella was so tired when they got home that she crawled into his arms and she was lightly snoring before he had time to turn the lights out.

=====HS=====

Bella woke up early the next morning with her bladder demanding attention. She pulled on Edward's discarded shirt and quickly made a trip to the bathroom.

Afterwards she let the dogs outside and put the kettle on to boil.

Once she had fed the dogs and made sure that they had water, Bella prepared a tray with teacups, milk jug and an assortment of muffins that she had baked the day before.

Small pots of jelly and grated cheese completed the arrangement and when the kettle had boiled she poured water into the china teapot and carefully carried the tray upstairs.

Roscoe and Apples followed closely behind her. They knew that Bella was a little clumsy and Roscoe was also aware that his master's mate was changing. He sensed it every time he was close to her and it had made him very protective of her.

Once Bella was at the top of the stairs, Roscoe and Apples took their places outside the bedroom door, while Bella put the tray on the coffee table.

She climbed onto the bed and crawled over to where Edward lay sleeping.

He was so handsome that it made Bella's heart skip a beat sometimes.

His hair was wild and tussled, while his mouth, his perfect mouth was slightly pouty and Bella longed to kiss it.

Her eyes followed the path of his body until it came to where the sheet was twisted low on his hips.

She could see the top of his pubic hair.

Bella licked her lips but a low chuckle had her sitting straight up.

"Are you checking me out, Mrs. Cullen?" Edward sleep-filled voice rumbled.

His bright green eyes looked at her with affectionate amusement.

Bella huffed as she stood up and picked up the tray.

"Well, if you are going to make fun of me, then I'm taking this downstairs again…"

Not even a second later, two hands closed over hers and the tray was plucked from her grasp.

"Now there is no need to be hasty, my love. I love that you lust after me. Now, come back to bed."

Bella couldn't resist joining him as he lay naked against the head board with the sheet pulled over his junk.

They ate in an easy silence only making small talk every now and again.

Suddenly the sound of the door bell sent the dogs into a barking frenzy.

Bella looked at the clock with a frown, "It's only twenty after seven on a Saturday morning. Who the hell is here? Are you expecting anyone?"

Edward began to shake his head but then a look of dismay and resignation crossed his face.

"No, but I have an idea who it is." He said woodenly.

He sighed and got up to pull a pair of sweatpants on.

As he jogged down the stairs, the doorbell continued to sound but now there were fists pounding on the wood as well.

Edward tried to shush the dogs as he unlocked the door and glared at the women standing there.

"It's about damn time, Edward! What were you _doing_? And why is Esme designing the nursery? You know that I'm the design guru around here!" Alice snapped as she pushed her way past him.

"I need coffee and keep it coming. Hey did Bella bake yesterday? I'd kill for waffles." Rosalie's lips brushed his cheek as she side stepped him and she walked up the stairs.

Edward stared outside blankly as Apples and Roscoe ran out of the front door and after a quick jump they bolted across Dawson's common. Great now he would have to go and find the little shits.

He sighed after he heard Bella shrieking loudly, "NO! Absolutely not! No fucking way are you putting leprechauns in my baby's room! Are you crazy Alice? And it's not going to be pink Rose; I don't care what you say! EDWARD!"

_The hell had begun._

Edward sighed again and went to find a T-shirt and his running shoes. He smiled to himself; actually that wasn't such a bad idea after all. Miles of freedom compared to being stuck inside with three disagreeable women… not a bad idea at all.

He put his shoes on and ran up the stairs.

"Sorry love, but the dogs got out. I need to fetch them before they go 'fishing' again." He said quickly as he reached inside his closet and pulled on the first T-shirt he found.

When he turned around he wanted to laugh. Alice was pacing as she jotted down notes in a binder, mumbling under her breath like a lunatic; Rosalie was stretched out next to Bella, sipping on _his_ tea and wolfing down _his_ muffins while Bella sat looking like an enraged little girl. Her arms were crossed tightly under her breasts and she had a deep frown between her eyes as she pouted at him.

"You couldn't warn me? Seriously?" Bella whined.

Edward walked over to kiss her mouth but Bella turned her face away childishly.

Edward took her chin in his fingers and gently turned her to face him, "Baby, you would never have believed me, would you?"

With a sigh Bella shook her head, "No,"

Edward smiled and leaned forward to kiss her pouty mouth, "Okay then."

He straightened up and looked from Alice to Rosalie, "Now you two; listen up!" he pointed his finger at them, "Whatever Bella wants is what Bella is going to get, do you understand? No fucking leprechauns or pink shit; hear me Rose? Bella doesn't like pink! If she wants black and white, then that is what she will get, understand?"

Alice gasped and Bella wanted to laugh when she actually clutched her chest, "B-black and white?" she whispered looking traumatized.

Edward narrowed his eyes at them, "Now, you can stay as long as you both behave _and you will be gone when I get back_ and lastly," he smirked, "you two will be telling _Esme why she has been denied the honor of decorating her granddaughter's bedroom_."

He smoothed his hand over Bella's hair and bent to kiss her and whisper in her ear, "I got your back, babe."

He looked at Rosalie and Alice again. They looked scared and panicked. Good – let them deal with his mother.

"Did you hear me ladies?"

"Yes, Edward." They chorused sulkily.

Bella couldn't believe how meek they sounded.

After he left Alice let out a dramatic sigh and flung herself down next to Bella, "Well, this sucks! May-May is going to kick our asses! She phoned us last night you know, to tell us about Bit and to crow about how _she_ is decorating the nursery! She wouldn't even share! So, we thought that we could beat her to it, but now, Edward's put the kibosh on that one."

Bella actually found herself feeling sorry for them as she looked at their despondent faces.

Finally she couldn't take the dramatic sighs and sad, puppy dog eyes that Alice kept giving her any longer.

"Look, why don't we do this: I will go and shower while you girls start to measure the room. We are using my old room for the nursery. After we have done that, maybe we can look online for some ideas and then maybe in a few weeks we can go to Burlington _with_ Esme and we can do some window shopping." She looked at Alice with a hard stare, "Window shopping, only Alice."

Rosalie feigned an interest in her muffin; Bella had no idea what she was in for!

**A/N: So my darlings, this is the second last regular chapter of Hope Springs (I think). I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love you all and appreciate you all for your reviews and your support. Btw, not long to go for FLO (family like ours) Chapter 1…**

**Hugs and kisses,**

**Just ginger/PLU**

**Quick plug from me:**

**If you haven't yet, go and start reading TAT (TeamAllTwilight) new read, Bases Loaded. On TWCS and Fanfic.**

**Go and read any of the stories by Silverblossoms! A little rough, a little kinky and hot as anything!**

**Recs from my wonderful Beta, Fiorella:**

**The Daily Grind by Emotion Masen**

A year ago Bella Swan had it all, attending college, friends, a boyfriend and her family. Then in one night her entire world came crashing down never to be the same. Edward Cullen recently requested for a job transfer. Relocating to Seattle, to run from his own problems, Edward was determined to never fall victim to another woman. That is until he meets Bella at a coffee house.

**Leave it all on the Floor by katiecav**

Welcome to the Academy! Bella Swan, former American Ballet Academy Prima Ballarina and Ballroom dancer, finds herself employed with her friend Alice Cullen at Alice's families dance academy. As a Seattle institution the Volterra Academy of Dance received national acclaim when the dance prodigy signed on, but is that the only purpose when the Cullens hired Ms. Swan or did they have hopes that she could teach more than just the students something? Edward hasn't placed competitively since his partner left him high and dry three years ago. That was when he came to teach ballroom at his family's school. He's convinced he's happy, spreading the love for dance through the younger generation, but that all changed when he spied a brown haired stranger. He saw the way she moved at the club and now he can't get her out of his head. He tells himself that it's best that he doesn't know who she is. He doesn't want another woman in his life to complicate things. It would be best just to forget her, so why can't he. What will happen when he finds out that the girl he can't forget is the new ballet instructor at the Academy? More importantly can they ignore the chemistry that they have from the beginning? Will Bella shake Edward out of his shell and will he find the strength to get out and dance again? Can she teach him to leave it all on the floor? Find out

**Leather & Lace by OTB **

It's Bella's 21st birthday, and her best friend Alice has bought her a very special gift. What was supposed to be a night of fun, meaningless sex turns into something more. (All human; graphic lemons)


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The story line of HOPE SPRINGS belongs to me.

**HOPE SPRINGS**

_**At the end of chapter 38 – **_

"_**Did you hear me ladies?"**_

"_**Yes, Edward." They chorused sulkily.**_

_**Bella couldn't believe how meek they sounded. **_

_**After he left Alice let out a dramatic sigh and flung herself down next to Bella, "Well, this sucks! May-May is going to kick our asses! She phoned us last night you know, to tell us about Bit and to crow about how she is decorating the nursery! She wouldn't even share! So, we thought that we could beat her to it, but now, Edward's put the kibosh on that one."**_

_**Bella actually found herself feeling sorry for them as she looked at their despondent faces.**_

_**Finally she couldn't take the dramatic sighs and sad, puppy dog eyes that Alice kept giving her any longer.**_

"_**Look, why don't we do this: I will go and shower while you girls start to measure the room. We are using my old room for the nursery. After we have done that, maybe we can look online for some ideas and then maybe in a few weeks we can go to Burlington with Esme and we can do some window shopping." She looked at Alice with a hard stare, "Window shopping, only Alice."**_

_**Rosalie feigned an interest in her muffin; Bella had no idea what she was in for!**_

**CHAPTER 39 – Baby makes three!**

=====HS=====

Bella let out a contented sigh as she let her arms dangle over the side of hammock. For the first time in what seemed like months, she was comfortable!

Edward loved her fuller breasts, hips and ass and he tried to get her naked at every turn. Bella was less than amused with her weight gain, even though Kebi kept telling her that a thirty-five pound weight gain was perfectly normal, and Bella knew that it was, but she could not see her damn feet!

Bella felt unreasonable tears prick behind her eyes as she rubbed her belly.

"Come on Little Bit; please have mercy on Mommy. Daddy and I can't wait to meet you." she felt herself smile as she felt a small kick.

Bella sighed again and closed her eyes. It didn't matter that it was the second week in November and that her due date had passed ten days before. It was cold outside but Bella was enjoying the icy weather.

Bella had only finished working two weeks before – only four days before her due date. And that was only because Seth had to threaten to lock her out of her own classroom if she didn't go on maternity leave!

In the ten days that she had been at home, Bella had completed her lesson plans for an entire school year, made Easter, Hanukkah, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween decorations for the children to decorate and complete and she had planned a spring and autumn outdoor education walk as well!

By the time Edward got home in the evenings, Bella had also cooked dinner, cleaned, done another load of _already clean washing_, and he either found her cooking an extra meal for when the baby came, or baking cookies, cakes or other delicacies. The night before he had found that Bella had baked five dozen doggie treat biscuits!

For the past few nights, she had felt as if she was boiling from the inside and the previous night, she had finally been able to catch a few hours sleep on the sofa downstairs, but it was broken and restless at best, and so she just filled her hours with 'things.'

Edward walked around complaining because Bella refused to turn the heat up and he and the dogs huddled around the fireplaces at night; either downstairs or up in the bedroom, while Bella walked around in sleep shorts and a T-shirt.

Esme walked onto the patio and clicked her tongue when she spotted Bella swinging on the hammock.

Edward had called her a little while before, because he had not been able to get hold of Bella and he was volunteering at the free clinic in Woodstock all day long.

"Bella? Honey, what are you doing?" she called.

Bella wiggled her fingers at her mother in law and smiled, "Hey Ma, I'm trying to catch a few damn moments of peace and quiet! Little Bit has been driving me crazy for the past couple of days."

Esme looked up at the darkening sky, "Well, that's all fine and well, but it is about to rain, so please come inside."

Esme hurried over to Bella and held onto the hammock as Bella heaved herself out of it. Esme took the woolen throw from her and she kept a steadying hand on Bella as they hurried inside just as the first fat drops of rain fell.

Once in the kitchen, Esme put the kettle on and turned around, "Have you been cleaning in here again? Bella, Kebi told you to slow down a little."

Bella glanced around the room and she felt a familiar itching in her fingertips to polish the table top_ again_.

"I know, but I just can't seem to help myself! I get up in the mornings just after Edward has left for work with every intention of relaxing and reading and sleeping, but then I walk past a cupboard, or I see a dust bunny or something and then the next thing that I know – I've rearranged the entire room!" Bella said with exasperation.

Esme finished pouring their tea and she steered Bella over to the large sofa in the corner.

"Well, I hope that you didn't move all of this furniture around yourself, young lady or else Dad and Edward are going to be all over you like white on rice!" Esme scolded.

Bella huffed but she had the grace to blush as she scrunched up her nose to think of what to say, "Weeeelll-"

Esme shook her head, "Isabella, are you trying to give us all heart attacks?"

"But Ma!" Bella protested and Esme bit back a smile when she sounded just like Brady did.

"Mr. Cope came over and helped me – I didn't move the heavy stuff!" she licked a finger and stuck it in the air, "Promise!"

Esme snorted, "Oh please! You need to learn to lie better than that, honey. You forget, we have had the boys and the girls before you and I can smell a lie at a hundred yards!"

Bella giggled, but if she was going to be completely honest, Mr. Cope only arrived after Bella had slipped on the loose mat in the sitting room and she had phoned him from her cell phone because she had been afraid to move.

Mr. Cope had sworn that he would not tell anyone, as long as Bella didn't do another thing in the house until Little Bit arrived. She rubbed her back where it was still paining a little.

Esme looked around and she shuddered internally when she thought of Bella pushing the large sofas or the wingback armchairs. She could see that the bookcases and the sideboard had also been repositioned. With a sigh she looked back at Bella, only to see her move her hand from where it had been massaging the small of her back.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just a little tried I think and my back's a little pinched from laying on the hammock." Bella said brightly as she picked up her cup.

"Aren't you cold Bells? God, it's colder than a witch's tit outside and almost as cold in here!" Esme said as she shivered.

Bella laughed, "I turned the temperature up by three degrees in here this morning!"

Esme rolled her eyes, "So now instead of frostbite, we just get common old hypothermia!"

Bella laughed as she rubbed her stomach, "So, tell me what's going on in town, seeing as I'm on 'lock down!"

Esme had brought a lemon and raspberry cheesecake and for the next hour Esme shared all of the gossip, until Bella could not stop herself from yawning.

"Why don't you go upstairs and try to take a nap?" Esme suggested as she finished loading the dishwasher.

"But" Bella began until she had to cover her mouth and yawn again.

Esme put one hand on her hip as she pointed to the stairs, "Go on upstairs and stop fighting yourself! Honestly in a few days time, you will wish that you had time to sleep – now go!"

Bella muttered under her breath but she gave Esme a peck on the cheek as she waddled passed her in the direction of the stairs, "Thanks Mom," she whispered grudgingly.

Esme patted her behind, "So darn stubborn…"

Once Bella had disappeared upstairs, Esme checked on the pot roast that Bella had begun to make. She unpacked the overflowing basket that she had brought with her and she quickly prepared a mess of root vegetables in a roasting dish. She set about making wild mushroom brown rice and at the last minute she decided to make a warm toffee baked pudding for Edward and Bella to share after dinner and she whipped some fresh cream and put it in the fridge.

She checked on Bella once and noticed that although she was sleeping deeply, she seemed to be a little restless. Instinctively Esme felt Bella's forehead and when she felt how cool she felt, Esme covered Bella with the down comforter that she had kicked off earlier and she closed the heavy curtains that Edward had hung in preparation for winter.

Esme looked out of the bedroom window and shivered as she stared out at the pouring rain. Although it was only just after four in the afternoon, it was already pitch-dark outside as the rain poured down in torrents.

Esme fed Roscoe and Apples and phoned Carlisle to tell him where she was, but his phone when straight to voicemail.

Carlisle had driven into Woodstock with Edward because he had been invited to speak at a luncheon of the Chamber of Commerce, for doctors who practiced, or who wanted to practice medicine in a small town.

Carlisle had always been well thought of and highly respected in Vermont, but as soon as he was elected Mayor of Hope Springs, people and sat up and noticed him.

Suddenly he and Esme were asked to present awards, speak at various meetings and even judge a baby competition, which Esme thought was hilarious because all of the new mothers could not stop checking him out! One woman who couldn't have been older than twenty-five, actually had the audacity to ask him out – in front of Esme! Esme had wiped the amused smirk off her face very quickly.

Esme made herself another cup of tea and she quickly phoned Alice, Rosalie and Bree to check that they were all safely indoors.

"_Where are you, Mom?" Rosalie asked, "I drove around to see if you and Dad wanted to come over for dinner earlier."_

"_I should have left a note on the door, honey; I'm over at Bella's. Edward called me earlier; he had been delayed at the hospital and he asked me to check on Bella and it's a good thing that I did, because I found the silly girl laying in the hammock in the back yard!" Esme said indignantly._

_Rosalie laughed, "Yeah, she's been complaining about her 'hot flushes' but Al and I told her that she is to blame because she never relaxes! It's as if she feels that she has to fill each and every second of the day and most of the night with some sort of activity!"_

They chatted for a few more minutes and said goodbye.

Esme read a magazine for a while but she kept checking on the weather. It didn't look any better outside; in fact, she noticed that the dogs were sitting close to her because it had begun to thunder.

Thankfully Bree had been invited to stay over in Stowe with Izebella and Gerard and Esme knew that she was safe.

Her phone rang just as she was wondering what was keeping Carlisle so long.

"_Jasper? Hi Honey"_ Esme said with a smile.

Of all of her children, Jasper was about the quietest. He had always been a child of few words and Esme had always thought it ironic that he had chosen to go into a profession where words and public speaking was a part of his job.

"_Hey Ma. Alice told me that you are with Bella."_ Esme could hear that something was wrong, even though Jasper was trying to hide it.

Esme nodded, _"Yes, why? What's wrong?"_

"_Have either of you heard from Edward recently?"_ he asked with a forced casualness that he was far from feeling.

Esme hesitantly explained that Edward had called her earlier.

Jasper sat in his police SUV and ran a hand through his hair as he stared blindly out of his window, _"Look Mom, please don't panic, but…"_ he began.

Esme felt her heart begin to pound in her chest.

"_We've had a report of an accident on the 106 near Noah Wood Road intersection. I'm on my way through there now, but this weather and a couple of fallen trees are making things difficult. I don't want you to worry, okay? I'll call you as soon as I get there."_

Esme felt as if a huge stone settled in the pit of her stomach, _"Daddy's with Edward,"_ she whispered.

Jasper felt his mouth go dry, _"They, they will be just fine, I'm sure Mom. Look I need to go; Eric and is helping the guys from the Fire Station to move the trees off the road. Just stay inside with Bella and please, don't worry her until I call you."_

There was silence for a moment as each contemplated the possible ramifications of what could be…

"_I love you, Son. Be careful." _ Esme finally said quietly as she blinked away the tears. There was no time to think of 'what if' now.

"_Love you too Mama. Please try not to worry."_

Esme stared blindly out of the window into the dark_. _The area that Jasper had told her about was a fairly deserted piece of road that cut through the forest. _Please, please God, please let them be fine . Please don't do this to us, to Bella – she could never stand to lose him, and I cannot live without my husband. Please –_

"Esme? What's wrong?"

Esme gasped as she turned around to find Bella standing in the doorway. She had obviously showered and had changed into a pair of black leggings, thick socks, a long sleeved sweater and a cabled jersey that Esme recognized as one of Edward's. She looked so sweet, like a child playing dress up as the jersey came down to her knees and the sleeves were pushed up.

"How are you feeling? You slept for a long time." Esme said as she looked over at the clock.

Six twenty-seven – Esme had been lost in her own thoughts for nearly an hour.

"Are you okay? I called you about three times before you even heard me." Bella said as she searched Esme's face for signs of what she was hiding.

Esme forced herself to smile, "Of course I'm okay, I was just gathering wool. Wow, it's really storming out there! Are you hungry? Dinner is ready."

Esme rubbed her stomach as it grumbled loudly, "I am actually."

Esme dished up their food quickly and they decided to eat from trays on their laps as they watched a cooking competition on television.

"Don't you just love Michael Symon?" Bella asked Esme.

Esme giggled, "No, actually, Marc Forgione is more my style!" she winked at Bella.

Bella gasped, "Why, Esme Cullen, you dark horse you! Who knew that you were a cradle robber?"

Esme laughed, "Well who did you think I would say? Bobby Fley? No thank you! I think that the younger men have all the goods."

Bella shook her head, "Now, that's where you are wrong! For me it's all about the older man."

Just then she felt the pain in her back worsen and she cringed as she sat forward and rubbed the spot.

"Are you in pain?" Esme asked.

Bella bit her lip before she nodded, "Hmm; I've had this niggling pain and Oh!"

Bella moved to jump up just as her water broke all over the seat and floor.

She and Esme stared at each other in shock for a second before Esme stood up, "Well, okay then, it seems that you are in labor. Why don't you go and clean up and change while I make a few calls." She said sounding far calmer than she felt.

Bella moved to the stairs but stopped suddenly as her first real contraction hit her.

Esme helped her breath through it and then she took note of the time before she quickly picked up her phone.

Jasper and Carlisle's phones went to voicemail, while Edward's just rang and Esme felt tears prick behind her eyes as she prayed silently for her family's safety.

"_Hello?"_

"_Em, thank God! Honey, Bella has just gone into labor and Edward and your father…"_

"_Mom, calm down! Jas just called, and they found the truck, but they are having a problem reaching it. Now, in this weather, we are never going to be able to drive Bella to Woodstock Gen. Mom, let me call you back – just try and keep Bella calm in the meantime and don't tell her about Edward – Jas doesn't know…"_

"_Okay. Hurry Em."_

"_I will."_

Esme pushed down the blind panic that threatened to overtake her as she cleaned up their dinner plates and the water.

Minutes seemed like hours as Esme paced.

_Why hadn't Emmett called her back? Was Edward and Carlisle okay?_

Esme's phone rang and she answered it quickly, "Emmett?"

"No, Essie, its Kebi. Emmett called. How is Bella?"

"She's showering again and changing but Kebi, I'm so worried. How are we going to get her through to Woodstock if the storm doesn't let up?"

"We are busy working on that now. I have asked Emmett to bring Jeffers to the house. Esme, the most important thing is to keep Bella calm. I will call you back in a few minutes."

Esme looked up to see Bella standing in the hallway with her bag in her hand.

Esme tried to smile at her but her smile died at Bella's next words, "Mom, where is Edward?"

"Bella, I…"

Bella shook her head, "Don't try and deny it. I know that something's wrong."

Bella had been trying to get hold of Edward but his phone just rang. Earlier, she had woken from her sleep drenched in sweat and her heart was pounding. Her dream had been one of the worst that she had and as Bella lay trembling on their bed, she remembered the red blood soaking and spreading into the white snow…

Bella shook her head at her mother in law, "Don't deny it. Tell me what it is wrong because I will tell you this much: I am not having this baby without Edward."

The two women stared at each other.

"That's ridiculous! Of course you are having the baby! What are you talking about? You can't stop yourself from going into labor!" Esme said angrily.

Bella arched her eyebrows, "Watch me! I will not have this baby until Edward is with me, so you had better tell me now, or…"

Just then someone banged on the front door and Esme glared at Bella as she hurried over to it.

Emmett and Jefferson stood on the front porch and Esme sagged in relief.

"Thank Goodness! Come in."

Bella was listening to Edward's phone ring before it went to voicemail.

"Edward, please call me. The baby's coming and I need you!" Bella whispered before she let the phone drop as another contraction began.

Jefferson hurried to her side as he shed his heavy raincoat and wet boots.

Emmett put his jacket, boots and socks in the mud-room. He walked through into the great room as Bella's voice rang out loudly.

"NO! I'm not going into labor without Edward – Aaagh!"

Jeffers looked at Emmett in frustration, "You try and talk some sense into her!"

Bella looked at Emmett with tears streaking down her cheeks, "Where is he?"

Emmett felt his throat tighten at the fear that he saw deep in her eyes, "Bells, I'm not going to lie to you. There has been an accident," he ignored Bella's gasp and continued, "Jasper is on the scene, but the 106 has been closed to traffic. It seems like a semi jackknifed on the wet roads and broadsided. Edward swerved to avoid the collision and went down the embankment near Noah Wood Road. Fire and Rescue are trying to reach them now." He looked at his mother with a sad smile, "They are speaking to Dad but Edward is unconscious behind the wheel and Dad can't reach him." He looked back at Bella, "So, you have to be strong now, Bella. You have to take charge and be responsible. Your daughter is ready to come out and only you can help her." Bella was already shaking her head and Emmett stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders, "I know that you are scared, Bella, we all are; Edward needs you to be strong now, okay? You have to try, Sweetheart. You have to make sure that your daughter, _Edward's daughter_ is safe."

He knew that he was not playing fair, but as he mentioned Edward's name, he saw the resolve in Bella's eyes and he knew that she wouldn't jeopardize the baby's birth.

Bella nodded as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Good girl. Now, Kebi is trying to arrange for a Medi Vac team to airlift you to Woodstock General, because the road is closed. In the meantime," he looked at Jefferson, "Jeff, what do you need until they arrive?"

Jeffers looked at Bella, "I need to examine you and see how far along you are, Bella." He said quietly.

Bella stopped protesting. She followed behind him as they walked up to her and Edward's bedroom.

"Esme, could you strip the bed and put a few towels on the mattress? Emmett, could you turn the temperature up to a steady 94 degrees? Bella, go and take off everything and slip into a T-shirt or sleep shirt, okay?"

Jeffers walked over to the windows and he closed the curtains. Emmett turned up the heat and went downstairs to secure the dogs on the ground floor.

He punched a button on his phone.

"_Hey Jas – what news?"_

Jasper wiped the rain from his eyes,_ "Fire and Rescue have reached the truck and they are bringing them up now. Dad's okay, I think, just banged up but they are airlifting him and Edward now to Woodstock. How's Bella?"_

Emmett let out a sigh,_ "I told her about the accident – I had to. She is scared but calmer, or at least more cooperative. Kebi is organizing a helicopter to get her moved to hospital, but obviously emergencies take precedence. Are you coming home or going to the hospital?"_

Jasper's hand shook as the first of the two stretchers were brought up to where the helicopter was waiting.

"_Not sure, there's still a shitload to do to clear the road."_

They said goodbye and Emmett immediately went back upstairs.

=====HS=====

From the moment that Emmett had said the word 'accident' Bella had begun to shut down. She knew that she could not just 'bow out' of giving birth, but she really didn't care. There was no way that she could do this without Edward. He should be there – he had to be there when Little Bit took her first breath.

Bella didn't even care that Esme was undressing her and pushing her arms though the sleeves of one of Edward's T-shirts.

"Come on, Bella." Esme said gently as she led her over to the bed.

Jeffers directed her to lie about a quarter of the way down her bed, so that her legs were dangling over the edge, before he put a sheet over her.

"Okay, Bella, we are going to see what's going on, okay? I need you to put your heels together – that's it and then let your legs flop open and let your knees rest on the cushions on either side… that's really good, Bella. Now just relax."

Jeffers took a seat on the leather ottoman that Emmett had brought into the room and he snapped on a pair of gloves.

Bella jumped as she felt his hands at her apex, but Jeffers shushed her and he waited until she seemed calmer before he did an internal examination.

"Hmm, okay," he said covering her once more. "Everything looks textbook perfect. The baby seems to be fully engaged and you are just over five centimeters dilated. From what Esme tells me, you have been in labor for a while, so we just need to monitor how far your contractions are apart and we will go from there. Why don't you try and relax?"

Bella shook her head, "Can you get Emmett in here?"

Emmett walked in and lay down next Bella on the bed as he brushed her hair out of her eyes, "How are you doing babe?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders as tears flooded her eyes, "Have, have you heard anything from Jasper?"

Emmett wiped the tears off her cheeks with his fingers, "Yeah. He said that they are both on their way to the hospital. Jefferson is on the phone to Kebi now to find out how long the helicopter will be and then we will get you there."

Bella struggled to stay calm, "Emmett?"

"Yeah?"

"What if…"

Emmett shook his head as his blue eyes blazed with an inner fire, "Stop it! Don't you even think that! They are going to be fine, okay? Do you hear me? You just keep thinking that they are going to be fine!"

"Okay" Bella whispered.

Emmett held her hand tightly, "You have to think of your baby, Bells, she needs you to be strong for her, okay? Can you do that?"

Bella nodded even as she felt her heart breaking. _How was she going to face this if Edward wasn't with her?_

=====HS=====

A half an hour later the helicopter arrived. In that time Emmett had secured the house, made arrangements to take Apples and Roscoe back to his home and Jake Black and Sam Uley had arrived in their 4x4's to assist the Medi Vac team when they arrived.

Jake had brought a huge piece of tarpaulin and he, Sam and several other neighbors had showed up to clear the street in front of the house, and were on hand to form a human 'tent' by holding the tarp over Bella as she was wheeled to the waiting helicopter.

Esme went with Bella, while Emmett assured them that he would take care of everything at home.

Emmett loaded the dogs into the car, gave Jeffers a lift to his home and slowly made his way back home. He noticed that the town looked like a ghost town. Every store had been closed and most people had put storm shutters over the large plate glass windows. The only building that was lit up was the ballet studio, which served as an emergency meeting place and shelter in times of need.

Rosalie was waiting at the entrance when Emmett pulled into the garage. He let the dogs out and they immediately took off for the children's rooms while Emmett took off his wet outer clothing and his boots, while Rose handed him a towel.

"It looks bad out there," Rosalie said.

Emmett nodded and he leaned down to kiss her tenderly, "It is really coming down! What does the forecast say?"

Rosalie couldn't help but ogle her husband as he stripped down in the mudroom to his boxers before he pulled on a pair of track pants, a thermal top and a pair of woolen socks.

Emmett looked up to see Rosalie licking her lips as she stared at his hard stomach just before he pulled the top down and he smirked, "Um, Rosie? You okay, baby? You look a little flushed there?"

Rosalie caught the end of his sentence and she blinked before she looked at his teasing smile and shook her head, "Ass!" she muttered.

Emmett smiled as he caught her around the waist, "As long as it's my ass you are looking at." He leaned down and kissed her again, but when he would have deepened the kiss Rosalie pulled away.

"Not now, Em, talk to me."

Rosalie knew that Emmett tried to negate any bad or negative occurrences by getting physical and she knew that having sex was not going to help this time.

Emmett frowned, "Fuck Rose, there is so much happening, I just want to…"

Rosalie nodded as she put on hand on his broad chest, "Baby, I know, okay? But you have to keep it together right now. So, come on inside and tell me what's going on."

Emmett longed to have a strong drink but he knew that he would need to be sober so he opted for a low alcohol beer. He and Rosalie sat at the counter while he wolfed down his dinner and he told her what had happened.

"Have you heard anything from Jasper again?"

Emmett shook his head, "No, he was staying at the crash site to clear the debris and to get the truck towed away. Jake was headed out there when he left Edward's place."

Rose nodded and she rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "I know that this is hard for you, Em, but they are going to be fine."

Emmett nodded as he pushed his diner plate away. Suddenly he didn't have an appetite.

"Where are Alice and the kids? I thought that she was coming here?"

Rosalie nodded, "She was, but then Makenna and Angela turned up at her place because Alastair is the head of the volunteers Disaster Relief and Eric is with Jasper so she has a house full and she didn't want to impose."

Emmett frowned, "I don't like the idea of them being alone out there…" Emmett said as he stared out at the night.

Rose stood up and put her arms around her husband, which she could only do because he was sitting down. Even thought she was tall, Emmett towered over her.

"Why don't you say goodnight to the kids – I've got them bunking down in the lounge in a 'sheet tent' and then you can phone your mom."

Emmett stood up, "Thank you Honey. I'm just really worried, you know. I can't imagine my dad or Edward being hurt or sick and Bella was so scared…" he buried his face in Rosalie's long hair as she held him tightly.

"We are Cullen's and we _will_ get through this." She whispered into his ear.

Emmett steadied his nerves and let out a shaky breath. With a kiss to her forehead Emmett stepped away from her and once again he was the overlarge self-assured, confidant man of the family – ready to face anything. He winked at her as he walked into the family room and a couple of minutes later, Rosalie heard her children laughing and chatting at a mile a minute.

She walked in after a while with large mugs of hot chocolate and large bowls of marshmallows and sprinkles.

"Okay, who is for some hot chocolate and a late night movie?" she asked.

Jed and Emma popped their heads out of the 'tent', followed closely by Apples and Roscoe. Rose laughed when Emmett's head came around the side of the tent.

"Wow, who else is in there?" She asked teasingly.

Once the children were settled on the floor making their treats, Emmett quietly slipped from the room in the direction of his study.

Once there he quickly dialed his mother's number.

"Emmett?"

"Hey Mom, what's happening?" he asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Oh honey, Daddy is fine! He's a little banged up and he has a couple of friction burns from the airbags, but he's just getting the final nod from the doctors and then they will release him. They wanted to keep him overnight, but you know what your father is like – he is impossible! Anyway, it's good news, right?"

Emmett nodded, "Yeah, it's great news. How is Bella? And Edward?"

Esme sighed, "Edward got a knock on his head, and they are keeping him for observation but Kebi has arranged for his gurney to be set up in the annex to the delivery room where Bella is and then they will put him in a private room with her and the baby later." Esme chuckled tiredly.

"Gosh, Em, you would not believe the way those two behaved earlier! The emergency room doctors threatened to secure Edward to his bed and Kebi threatened to knock Bella unconscious if she didn't behave!"

Emmett laughed as he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. They were all going to be okay.

"Those two are full of it! God help their kid! Listen Ma; are you going to be okay there? What are you and Dad going to do tonight? I don't want you sitting there all night long in those hard plastic chairs." Emmett knew that his parents were not getting any younger and as the oldest child he tended to worry about them.

"Don't worry, Sweetheart; Dad and I are going to stay at Amun and Kebi's tonight and I was wondering if you could fetch us tomorrow? I'm sure you will want to see the baby."

Emmett agreed and after a few minutes they hung up so that Emmett and Rosalie could start to make phone calls to their friends and Bella's family in Phoenix to keep them abreast of the day's events.

In Woodstock, Esme walked back to the small waiting room just off the delivery rooms. She smiled when she saw Carlisle waiting for her, but that soon turned to a frown when she saw the angry, reddened skin around his cheek and jaw. For a moment Esme felt scared; she had never seen Carlisle as anything but a strong and vital man and for the first time, she noticed that he was more grey than she remembered; his skin seemed pasty and pale and there was an almost fragile air about him.

Her breath caught in her throat as hot, sticky tears flooded her eyes and began to flow down her cheeks.

Carlisle watched his wife, lover and best friend's face as it changed and he saw the relief and joy give way to fear and vulnerability in her eyes and he cursed himself for making her feel so unsettled.

Carlisle forced a smile to his face and held out his arms. He ignored his achy muscles. Esme approached him slowly. She searched over every visible inch of him, missing nothing.

"Essie, come here Darling." Carlisle encouraged her as she stopped just out of his reach.

"I don't want to hurt you." She whispered brokenly and Carlisle muttered a curse as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her small frame.

Esme broke down into quiet sobs and she clutched the scrub shirt that he had changed into.

"Sh, darling, hush now. It's going to be fine. We are all fine, sweet girl." He whispered as he rocked her from side to side.

"I thought – I thought – oh god, Car, please don't leave me! I can't…" Esme sobbed into his shoulder.

Carlisle grimaced as her body burrowed even closer to his and her fingers inadvertently poked at a bruise that was forming on his side for where the handle of the truck had struck him.

Carlisle knew that he could never promise Esme that he was not going to leave her, especially as they grew older, but he also promised himself that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that they were together for as long as possible.

=====HS=====

Bella barely remembered the helicopter ride. She was only vaguely aware that Esme was next to her, holding her hand and anchoring her to a remnant of Edward. She concentrated on staring into Esme's eyes; eyes that reminded her of her husband's.

The next thing that she registered was that they were landing and then the door to the helicopter was open and although they tried to keep her as dry as possible, by the time that the EMT's and Esme got her inside the building, they were all drenched to the skin.

Kebi was waiting for her and she was whisked away to her room. Kebi took one look at the bedraggled Esme and directed a nurse to show her to the doctor's bathroom so that she could shower and change into a pair of scrubs and a spare pair of shoes that Kebi kept in her locker.

Esme tried to protest, stating that she wanted to see Carlisle, check on Edward and stay with Bella but Kebi waved the nurses that were wheeling Bella towards her room to carry on and she put her hand out and stopped Esme's posturing.

"Esme; I love you, _mon ami_, but you will be of no use to anyone if you get sick. Now, you are in shock and you are soaked to the skin so please just do as you are told. Nurse Walters will take you to Carlisle as soon as you have showered and changed. _Sommes-nous__d'accord_?"

Esme nodded as she huffed, "Yes, we agree. But I don't have to like it!"

Kebi patted her hand and she hurried after Bella.

Esme showered as quickly as she could but she had to agree that she felt much better as she put on a pair of pink scrubs, thick socks and a pair of pink Crocs®, that Kebi seemed to have in every color.

Once she was dressed and she had towel dried and combed her hair into a semblance of order, nurse Walters showed her to the Emergency ward.

Esme could hear Edward shouting as soon as she began to get closer.

"_Let me go! My wife is here, for fuck sake! She needs me! Damnit!"_

"_DOCTOR CULLEN – YOU HAVE TO CALM DOWN – NOW!" _

"_FUCK YOU! BELLA NEEDS ME – OW! FUCK! STOP POKING ME!"_

Esme forgot about Carlisle for the moment as she hurried to the cordoned off room where she could see a huddle of medical personal.

"Doctor –"

"EDWARD CULLEN!" Esme roared and everyone swung around to stare at the small woman in shock.

She ignored everyone but the angry man on the bed who had the intelligence to look ashamed.

"Ma! Thank God!"

Esme shook her head, "Oh you will be praying to God by the time that I'm finished with you! Why are you screaming like a banshee? Cussing and behaving like a trucker at a twenty cent strip joint! Disgusting! Now apologize immediately!"

The ER staff watched in amusement as the angry man seemed to change from the slightly manic man to a grumpy teenager before their eyes and his ears turned pink as he mumbled something that sounded like 'imsorry'.

"Excuse me?" Esme asked as she arched her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips.

"I said: I'm sorry for my earlier behavior. I'm sorry for carrying on like a nutcase, but my wife has been admitted because she is in labor and it's our first baby and she is alone and scared and I need to go to her. Please." Edward's eyes didn't leave his mother's until the last when he looked at the young ER attending.

The man was not unsympathetic and he gave Edward a short nod, "We will get you up to the delivery room as soon as you let us finish taking x-rays. In the meantime, why don't we get you hooked up to your wife via telephone?"

Edward hissed but he nodded gratefully when the doctor picked up a phone.

Edward looked at his mother and he could see how scared she looked.

"I'm sorry," he said to her.

Esme shook her head as her chin trembled. "Don't baby, please. You didn't do anything wrong! You and Daddy are alive and that is all that matters to me!" he held out his hand and Esme took it in both of hers.

She blinked away the tears and swallowed. She could not fall apart – her family needed her to be strong.

"Bella is fine, son. She is obviously worried about you and scared, but physically, she is fine; she was just over six centimeters dilated and everything was fine when I left her."

While Esme was talking she smoothed Edward's hair of his forehead just the way that she used to when he was a little boy.

The doctor came back, carrying a cordless phone, which he held out to Edward, "Just press 2-7-3 and your Bella will be on the other side."

Edward smiled shortly as he quickly dialed the number.

"Bella? Love?"

Edward heard Bella gasp as she began to cry_, "Edward? Oh God, oh God, Edward! Where are you? Are you okay? Edward, I was so scared! Where are you, baby? Oooh fuck! Oh! Oh!"_

Edward tried to sit up but the ER doctor glared at him and put a gentle but firm hand on his chest, shaking his head vigorously.

"Bella? Sweetheart, I'm fine! I'm here, in the hospital. I'll be with you soon. Hang in there Love. Breathe. Just breath! Remember your breathing and breath though it, okay. I'm here, darling." Edward fought the feeling of panic that rose up in his chest.

He had to get to her!

After a few minutes of coaxing, Edward got a small chuckle out of Bella. It wasn't much but he could hear that she was a little more relaxed.

He saw the porter waiting to take him to x-rays and he reluctantly told Bella that he would see her soon.

If he wasn't feeling so sore from the impact of the accident, Edward would have thought it funny at how impatient he was. He was the world's worst patient and the hospital staff wasted no time in telling him that. After what seemed like days, but was only just over an hour, Edward was once again on the move – this time to Bella's room.

He wanted to get out of the wheelchair, but the nurse stopped him. "Not so fast, Doctor. You have to stay as still as possible for the next twenty-four hours."

Edward wasn't really listening. All he saw was his beautiful Bella propped up on the bed. Her hair was matted and sweaty and she looked scared and tired. When she saw him being rolled into her room, she burst into noisy tears.

Once Edward was as close to her as he could get, he ignored the nurse and stood up next to the bed and gently pulled Bella into his arms.

Bella didn't notice that he flinched as she pulled him closer to her, almost clawing her way up his body. She closed her eyes as she felt and heard the steady beat of his heart and almost instantly she felt her own heart slow to beat in tandem with his.

"Don't ever leave me. My heart won't survive if you leave me." She whispered almost too low for Edward to hear.

But he did hear her and he felt his eyes moisten as he pressed his lips to her damp hair, "I love you, Isabella. You are my life. You are so strong, love. I'm here."

Finally they parted and Edward reached for Bella's hairbrush and he brushed her long chocolate tresses away from her face and he braided it over one shoulder and secured it with her hair tie. This was one of the rituals that they had established when Bella became too uncomfortable in her pregnancy.

Every evening after their shower, Edward would dry and then brush Bella's hair, before he massaged her feet and swollen belly. Often, this would lead to him making love to her gently or simply turning her over and fucking her from behind as she writhed and screamed his name.

The memories of this caused Bella to smile as she felt him running his fingers through her hair before he braided it.

"Keep that up Cullen, and I won't be responsible for my actions." She quipped as he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

Edward chuckled and his warm breath made a thousand goose bumps break out on Bella's skin.

"I think we are going to have to shelve that idea for a few weeks, love." He murmured as he pulled back and gingerly sat back down in the wheelchair.

Bella looked at him closely for the first time and she noticed the bloody lip, bruised jaw and temple and the small whit tape over one eye that was growing blacker by the minute and she gasped.

"Oh God! Edward! Baby, look at you?"

Edward shook his head, "Now, don't start crying again, love. I'm a little banged and bruised but other than a sprained wrist and a slight concussion, I am fine."

Bella wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands, "Really? Promise?"

Edward smiled, "Pinky promise."

Just then Bella's shaky smile crumbled as a contraction began and she groaned. Edward stepped forward and he put his sprained hand on her forehead and his good hand on her stomach.

"Okay now; remember to breathe through the pain, baby. You are doing so well, come on love. You can do this – just a little while longer and then Little Bit will be with us…"

For the next hour they worked together as each contraction gathered in strength, pain and length until Bella threatened to 'pull Edward's nuts off' if he didn't get her drugs.

Once the epidural had been administered, Bella was taken into the delivery room where Bella and Edward managed to doze on and off for a couple of hours.

Kebi woke them both up when she came in to check how far along Bella was and to check that Edward had not complications from his concussion.

"Edward – I need to push!" Bella exclaimed suddenly. Edward shot up and looked at Kebi wide eyed.

"Okay, Bella, you are feeling the contractions?" Kebi asked.

Bella nodded, "For about the last twenty minutes."

Kebi smiled calmly, "You ready to push?"

Bella grimaced as she nodded, "Yeah"

"On the next contraction, I want you to 'bear down' and give me a good push, okay? Edward come and stand next to Bella on this side."

The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. Bella grunted as she felt as if she was splitting in half, she was scared, tired and emotionally drained but the adoring look in Edward's eyes kept her going until –

"There she is!" Kebi exclaimed.

Bella looked up to see a thick head of bloody, coppery hair as a loud cry filled the air.

She was laughing and crying as Kebi handed their baby to Edward and then he turned to her with tears rolling down his cheeks as he brought her down to Bella's chest, "She is beautiful, I love you so much, thank you," he knew that he was babbling, but he couldn't stop as he exchanged sloppy kisses with Bella.

The neonatal nurse took the baby away to be cleaned and scored on the Apgar test while Kebi delivered the afterbirth.

Edward and Bella's world had shrunk down to just the two of them for a moment. They stared deeply into each other's eyes.

Words were not enough to express how they felt.

A few minutes later the baby was placed back onto Bella's chest.

Edward looked up at the nurse who was smiling at them, "Your daughter is very healthy with an initial score of 9 out of 10 and then 10 out of 10. She is a big very healthy 8 pounds and 3 ounces! Congratulations!"

Bella gently pulled the covering off the little girl's feet and her eyes grew wide at the sight of the perfectly formed little toes.

Mother and child seemed to stare at each other for a moment, "Hello Anna Elizabeth Cullen. I am your Mommy and this handsome man is your Daddy." She said quietly.

Edward watched as she lowered her gown and let the nurse show her how to get the baby to latch onto her breast.

His heart was so full that he could not comprehend what he was feeling.

Kebi smiled at him and she moved to the door, "I will give you a few minutes before I send your parents in?"

Edward smiled and nodded.

Bella looked up at him, "Do you think that they will like her name?"

For months everyone had been bugging them to give them a clue as to what they were going to call their daughter, but Bella had been adamant that she didn't want to 'jinx' their good fortune and so they had remained silent, even when Esme had decided that she was not going to show them the nursery until after the birth, just as she would not learn her grandchild's name until after she was born!

Once Anna Beth, as they wanted to call her, had been fed, Bella was cleaned up while Edward went outside to see his parents.

He had not seen Carlisle since they were separated in the hospital and Edward let out a sigh of relief when he spotted his parents sitting close together in the waiting room.

"Mom, Dad." Edward said.

Carlisle stood up, "Edward!" In two long strides he was putting his arms around his son and he held him tightly until Edward squirmed.

"Dad!" he groaned.

"Oh! Sorry, Son. How are you? How's Bella?"

Esme smiled as she looked from her husband to her son and in her heart she thanked God for blessing her and sparing them the heartache of loss.

Edward smiled, "Come on – come and meet your granddaughter."

Carlisle chuckled as Esme complained loudly, "I don't think that you two even have a name for my poor grandbaby!"

Bella was back in her room. She had been cleaned up and had changed into one of the pretty nightgowns that Esme had bought for her.

She grinned tiredly as Esme and Carlisle walked into the room and looked down at the sleeping infant in her arms.

"Mom, Dad, I would like to introduce you to _Anna Elizabeth Cullen_." Edward said quietly.

Esme brushed a tear off her cheek as she smiled at Bella, "Really?"

Bella nodded, "Of course, we had to name her for my two mothers. One that loved me before I was born and one that loves me now."

The two women smiled at each other through their tears – Anne was Esme's middle name and Elizabeth was Renee's.

When they had discussed it, Bella had insisted that she wanted to give their daughter the very best chance to succeed in life and she wanted to give her a good start by giving her strong names. Edward had not tried to fight with his wife's reasoning.

As Edward stood next to his father, he felt the most incredible sense of _completeness_ that he had ever felt before.

"Now I understand why you and Mom had four children," he murmured to his father.

Carlisle turned and stared at his son as a smile broke out across his face and he put one hand very gently on Edward's shoulder, "There is nothing like it in this world, my son. They will fill you with frustration, joy, heartache and terror. They will build you up and break you down, but there is nothing like being a father in the entire world."

=====HS=====

Hope Springs was treated to one of the heaviest snow-falls that winter. Temperatures plummeted and the town council decided to purchase a second snow-plough to keep the roads in and around town clear and safe.

Edward didn't buy another truck when his insurance paid him out; instead he bought the latest and safest Volvo SUV. Bella thought it was funny that he was trading in his 'man truck' for a 'mom's car' until he told her that he had purchased a matching vehicle for her!

Bella sulked for over a week, well she tried to, but secretly she was relieved. After Edward and Carlisle's accident, Bella had become skittish about driving and she was more content to stay inside her warm and safe home with Anna Beth and the dogs, who adored the new addition to the family.

When Bella had arrived home three days after Anna Beth was born, Esme, Alice, Rosalie, Makenna and Angela had all been there to welcome the small family home.

The most delicious smells emanated from the kitchen while the rest of the house was warm and welcoming.

Esme stood next to the door that had been locked for the past three months and then with everyone looking over Bella and Edward's shoulders she opened the door with a flourish and Bella gasped.

The room was breathtaking – it was painted in the most delicate lavender. The wooden floors had been refinished and soft mats covered the polished wood. The crib, changing table and book cases were made from dark wood, while the soft furnishings were accents of lavender, pink (Bella rolled her eyes as Rosalie and Alice smirked), mint and pale blue. Butterflies had been painted across one wall beginning tiny in a corner as they fluttered across and up the wall to the opposite corner they grew in size and detail. Pink, blue, green and purple butterflies until they became 3 dimensional and their wings opened up.

The chandelier in the middle of the room was made from glass, at least a hundred glass butterflies hung off the center light.

Bella turned to look at her friends and family, "This is – amazing!"

Stuffed animals lined the shelves, while the rocking chair that her father had made had been sanded down, refinished and it was piled with scatter cushions in various colors.

The window seat had been recovered in hot pink, with scatter cushions in different colors – most with a butterfly motive on them.

Above the beautiful crib _Anna Beth_ had been inscribed.

It was perfect, well almost as perfect as the little baby in her arms.

=====HS=====

Edward's bruises had eventually healed as they prepared for their first Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Bella's class of grade one learners had paid a visit to their teacher just before Thanksgiving and Bella decorated the large corkboard in Anna Beth's room with the dozen drawings, cards and paper flowers that they gave Bella.

The only smudge on the horizon was that none of her phoenix family had been able to get away to come and see the new addition but Bella Skyped once a week and she emailed dozens of photographs.

All her life she had wondered what sort of mother she would be and she had been so afraid that she would not know how to care for a helpless little baby, even with all of her family assuring her that she would be fine, she had been scared.

Bella needn't have worried.

She was a natural. She realized this at three o'clock one morning in January.

Anna Beth was a hungry baby and with her being a larger baby, she still nursed once during the night.

Anna Beth was nine weeks old and Bella had noticed that her eyes had become even bluer than they were before.

She had hoped that they would turn green like Edward's, but instead, it seemed that Anna Beth had inherited her paternal grandfather's eyes and her father's hair, although her hair was redder.

Emmett teased Bella that Anna Beth was a throwback from their Viking ancestors and although everyone laughed, Bella wondered if that were true. Anna Beth was a happy baby, but she seemed to have a typical redhead's temper if things didn't go her way.

Bella had woken up to the sound of Anna Beth fussing and Roscoe licking her face.

Roscoe was Anna Beth's slave. He adored her and seldom left her doorway. He had appointed himself her guardian and protector and was unwavering in his loyalty. If she cried, he stood poised and tense until she had been soothed. As soon as she fussed or made a noise when she woke up, he darted off to find Bella or Edward.

Bella had complained that they didn't need a baby monitor with Roscoe around.

Bella pushed Roscoe away and sat up, rubbing her face.

She used the bathroom and washed her face and hands before she pulled her thick gown around her and walked into Anna Beth's room.

Apples didn't stir and Roscoe checked that his 'charge' was safe before he too settled down to rest.

Bella picked up her daughter, who was looking at her accusingly and smiled, "You need to learn some patience, pretty baby. Are you wet? Hmm? Okay then, let's feed you."

Bella hummed quietly as she fed Anna Beth.

As she suckled, Bella studied her daughter's face. "I love you so much, Little Bit. You make mommy and daddy so happy. We are so glad that you are here." She whispered.

Her little girl stared up into her mother's bright gaze and her small hand curled around her breast and she let out a small contented sigh and just like that, Bella knew that she could do this. She could be a mom – a good, no, a _great_ mom.

There was a time, after Anna Beth's birth that Bella wasn't sure she would ever be a good mother.

=====HS=====

In the first few weeks, Bella changed into a different person. She had become paranoid that she was going to do something wrong or that something bad was going to happen.

At first she had hardly slept, preferring instead to sit in the nursery and watch little Anna Beth sleep. She would not let the baby out of her sight and whenever Edward would hold her, he could see how Bella paced and hovered until the baby was back in her arms.

Things became strained between them and at night Edward was actually relieved when Bella began to 'sleep' next to him because all she did was lie as stiff as a board next to him, posed in case she heard a noise or a grunt or a whimper and neither of them got much sleep.

Eventually one morning, when Anna Beth was about five weeks old, Edward had reached the end of his nerves and patience and he sought out his parents for help.

Bella answered the front door to a grim looking Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie and Jasper. Bella's heart thundered painfully in her chest, "What's wrong?" she cried as she stared wide-eyed at them.

Esme looked at the young woman that they considered a part of their family and she felt tears prick her eyes. Bella looked exhausted. Her hair hung lifelessly around her shoulders; she was wearing a pair of sweatpants that she had obviously not changed out of in days. Her T-shirt was stained across her chest, where she had leaked milk.

"We are here to see you, Isabella." Carlisle said quietly.

Bella blushed as she realized that she had not showered or changed in two days – or was it three and she knew that she must look a sight.

"Um, okay, come in." she clutched the baby monitor to her chest defensively.

Esme could not believe the untidy state of the kitchen. Dishes and take out containers littered the counters. Mugs and plates were piled high in the sink.

Edward had gone to see his parents early that morning and they had both been disturbed by what Edward told them.

They had thought that it was the bad weather that they were experiencing that was keeping Bella inside her house, but Edward had explained how obsessed she had become to ensure Anna Beth's safety. Bella hovered over the baby with a manic fierceness that Edward found alarming and disturbing.

Nothing else seemed to matter to her. She barely cooked, cleaned or took notice of anything else but their daughter and Edward knew that she was almost at the point of an emotional and physical breakdown. She was all consumed by wanting to keep Anna Beth 'safe'.

Carlisle had immediately called Jasper and Rosalie. Bella had attended Rosalie's support group for parents who had lost a child or suffered a miscarriage and Carlisle knew that she would be able to empathize with Bella's fears.

Edward had wanted to go with them, but Carlisle discouraged this, as he said that Bella would feel less shame and would be more honest if he wasn't there. As much as it hurt him to hear that, Edward knew that his father was speaking the truth and so they had driven over to Edward's house just before 8 o'clock.

Bella felt a wave of dizziness as she stood nervously in the doorway and she swayed dangerously before Jasper leapt forward and put a secure arm around her shoulders. He didn't say anything, but instead he led her to the sofa and pressed her into the soft cushions.

Bella wanted to close her eyes. She was so tired but she was scared that if she did the nightmares would return. Every night it was different scenarios but all with the same outcome – their little girl lost, alone, crying and frightened because both she and Edward were gone.

Bella shook her head and opened her eyes to see the four faces staring at her in distress and concern.

"Bella, you have to stop this! You are making yourself ill and if you don't start taking care of yourself you are going to land yourself in hospital. Do you understand me?" Carlisle put his hand on hers as he spoke quietly.

Bella bit her lip as she looked from one to the other.

"I – I –I" she didn't know what to say to them. _What if they laughed at her? What if they didn't believe her? What if they thought that she was an unfit mother – just like Taylor had told her so long ago?_

"Bella-" Rosalie began but Bella interrupted her.

"I'm taking care of my baby! I don't have time for anything else! She needs me and I'm a good mother!"

"Oh Bella! Of course you are a good mother. You are a wonderful mother. You are the very best mother for Anna Beth. No one is saying that you aren't." Esme assured her.

Bella shook her head, "Edward?"

"Bella, Edward adores you. He is your champion _in all things_ and he is worried about you. He is worried about your health, about your safety. He knows that you are a great mom, but he is worried about his wife." Jasper spoke up.

Bella bit her lip to stop herself from breaking down and wailing. _She was so tired…_

"I know you are, Sweetheart, and that's why we are here. We want to help you. If it's okay with you, Carlisle would like to give you a quick examination, okay?" Esme asked.

Bella let out a sigh and with it the fight seemed to leave her, "Okay" she said.

Carlisle led her into the formal sitting room across the hall and he did a quick but thorough exam while he asked her a few questions.

When he was finished her smiled at her sadly, "Well, there is nothing physically wrong with you, other than the fact that you are about to drop from exhaustion. Do you know that a lack of sleep can lead to serious consequences?"

Bella shook her head.

"Thankfully, you are eating and drinking plenty of liquids but I want you to speak to Jasper and Rosalie. Will you do that?"

Bella nodded and agreed, suddenly too tired to remember why argue. _It would be nice to tell someone what her nightmares were about. She hadn't wanted Edward to think less of her or think that she was crazy and so she had hidden them from him. Instead she had distanced herself._

"I would like to hear about your bad dreams, Bella." She looked startled as she looked up to see Jasper and Rosalie sitting opposite her. She hadn't heard them come in.

Bella looked from one to the other, "I'm scared that if I speak about them, then they will come true…" she whispered as tears formed in her bloodshot eyes.

Rosalie quickly got up and sat next to her with one arm around her waist.

"When I lost my baby, I had nightmares for months. My marriage was falling apart and I kept dreaming that I had blood on my hands. No matter how many times I washed them, the blood was always there. Eventually I got help and the nightmares stopped. But when I fell pregnant with Emma, all of my old fears came crashing back."

Rosalie felt Bella turn and bury her face in her neck as tears soaked her blouse.

"There were times that I was so afraid that I felt paralyzed. When she was born, I didn't want to leave her side, even though I knew that she was healthy and happy. Thankfully Emmett and I made a pact to talk to each other. Once a week we take a bath together and we talk. About everything! And so I told him. The fear went away. Our faith and our family kept me strong and then one day I realized that I wasn't afraid anymore."

The silence in the room was broken only by the sound of Bella's heartbreaking cries. Once she had calmed down, Bella told Jasper and Rosalie everything.

Esme brought a tray of tea and sandwiches and while they ate, and with Bella's permission Jasper told Carlisle and Esme what had been going on.

Anna Beth woke up for a feeding and Esme sat with Bella in the nursery as she fed and changed her. When she was finished, Esme held out her arms, "Now, give this little angel to me and you go and take a shower, wash your hair and change your clothes."

Bella only hesitated for a few seconds before she agreed.

When she walked into her bedroom, she noticed immediately that someone had cleaned it.

After her shower, Bella felt like a different person. She took her time and dried her hair, before she pulled it up into a high ponytail. For the first time in weeks she took time to dress in something other than a pair of sweatpants or sleep pants.

She stood back and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Her figure was the same as before, except for her larger breasts. Her dark jeans fit her perfectly, and she looked great in spite of the dark rings under her eyes. She couldn't resist peeping into Anna Beth's room and she smiled at the sight of her baby snuggled down under the small comforter.

When Bella got downstairs she was shocked to find that the kitchen and sitting room had been cleaned, the dishes had been rinsed and stacked into the dishwasher. The floors were shining and the room smelled fresh and clean. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace and the most delicious smell permeated the air.

Carlisle and Jasper stood at the sink, talking quietly and laughing as they dried pots and serving bowls, while Esme stirred something in a pot on the stove and Rosalie was pealing vegetables at the spotless island.

Esme turned and smiled at Bella, "Well now, don't you look lovely. Come and sit down, we would like to make a few suggestions to help you."

Bella sat down as Jasper and Carlisle walked over and took seats in front of her.

Jasper began, "Bella, it is not unusual to have the fears and difficulties that you are experiencing given your past. As Rose told you, and she has a far more 'stable' and traditional background than you do; she also struggled. But you are not alone in this." He smiled at her gently.

"You have Edward just waiting in the wings to help you. He is so ready to be a father and a 'helpmate' to you, but if you don't let him into this cocoon that you have locked yourself in, then he can't."

Bella wiped a stray tear off her cheek as she nodded.

"I know that I've been horrible to him." She said but Carlisle shook his head with a grin, "Bells, Edward has grown up in a house full of women, honey. He has a tougher skin than you give him credit for!" he said and he laughed when Esme leaned forward to smack his stomach.

That lightened the mood considerably and for the next hour Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle helped Bella to see that although her fears and paranoia was founded in her past, she didn't have to let it rule her life.

They made a chart that was tacked up to the kitchen wall that had a list of all the chores that had to be done on a daily, weekly and monthly roster. Esme and Rosalie showed Bella how to do quick 'blitz tidies' that took almost no time but would help to lift her mood and would help her to keep a hand on the house. Esme also insisted on Bella employing a cleaning lady to come in once a week to attend the heavier cleaning, ironing etc and that she used that day to go out. Weather it was shopping, having lunch with the 'girls', going to see a movie or whatever, she had to get out, and on that day, Anna Beth would go to her 'May-May'.

At first Bella resisted the fact that she would have to express her milk, but when Rosalie and Jasper pointed out that it was one way that she could include Edward in the 'inner circle', Bella relented.

Carlisle made sure that Bella knew that he was going to keep an eye on her health and that she would be sleeping whenever Anna Beth slept. Jeffers would also be on hand to do home visits from time to time.

To alleviate some of her fears, Alice had been busy on the phone, rounding up their group of woman friends that were willing to stop by every day to make sure that while the baby rested, Bella got some sleep and relaxation time.

The last part of their intervention came when she looked up to see Edward standing in the doorway of the mudroom.

Bella felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and shame as she stood up and slowly walked over to where he was standing.

She hated the look of sadness and uncertainty in his eyes and the hesitation that he showed when she moved forward to kiss him and Bella stepped back and bit her lip as she pushed down her other fear: that she had pushed Edward too far.

"I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry"

Bella frowned, "What are you apologizing for? I'm the one that has been a raving lunatic for the past five weeks. I have pushed you away and I'm so, so sorry, baby." She rambled as she stepped forward and put her hands on Edward's cheeks.

"I love you so much and I've been so scared…" Bella took a breath and Edward used the opportunity to lean down and kiss her gently but firmly.

He wiped his fingers over her cheeks, "I know you are, Love and I am scared too, but we can do this together, okay? I love you and Anna Beth so much, Love and I want to be there for both of you. I'm sorry that I let you down and let things get so bad that I had to call my parents to help."

Bella put one hand over his moth as she shook her head, "Don't say that, baby; I'm glad that you called them."

At the look of disbelief on his face Bella nodded vigorously, "I am! I am so lucky to have all of them in my life and I've been foolish for not turning to them sooner."

She searched his bright green eyes, "Are we okay?"

Bella almost melted at the adoring look in Edward's eyes and she mentally kicked herself for not having seen it sooner. This man really loved her! And Jasper was right; he _was_ her champion no matter what.

Edward nodded and kissed her cheek, "As long as you promise to talk to me. Promise me!"

Bella needed no second bidding, "I promise."

They turned to see the others grinning at them, "Well, I suppose that we should be grateful that you two still have your clothes on!" Jasper said with a gleam in his eyes that told Bella that he wouldn't waste any time in teasing them mercilessly for a while.

"Well, Jas, if you want to 'pop' in next week, you just might get a different scene. It's my six weeks check up and then your brother is all mine!" Bella quipped.

There was a moment's shocked silence as everyone absorbed Bella's risqué comment before they burst out laughing.

Edward's heart warmed at the sight of his wife laughing for the first time in weeks and he knew that they were going to be just fine.

They were.

Bella learned to take every day on its own merit. Her friends and family were a godsend and she and Edward learned to be parents together. From experimenting with the breast pump, to enjoying shower sex again.

Not every day was perfect and the first time that Anna Beth had slept through the night, Bella had been convinced that she was dead and she had a panic attack in the hallway until Edward found her.

His own heart was pounding as he opened the nursery door only to see his daughter laying cooing in her crib as she stared up at the butterfly mobile above her.

After hugging his wife and daughter to his chest, the two of them shared a teary giggle and they decided not to tell anyone about their foolishness that day.

Life showed more promise than Bella had ever experienced. Slowly the fear began to go away. As the days turned into weeks and then months, Bella came to believe that perhaps God _was_ smiling down upon them and that he wasn't going to snatch her little slice of heaven out of her grasp.

Even though her parents had left her at such a young age, she had known love. She experienced it every day – from Edward, his, no _their family_.

It was hard to believe that a little over four years before she had taken a lift with Billy Black, not ever imagining that at the end of the journey she would find a family, friends, a career, a husband and a child that would bring her more joy than she had ever known.

Bella gently rubbed Anna Beth's back and burped her before she changed her diaper and put her back into her crib.

She took the time to lean down and pat Roscoe on his head, "Good boy, Ross, good boy."

Bella went downstairs and walked into the kitchen to drink a glass of water. She found that breastfeeding made her so thirsty.

She glanced around the room. She smiled at the soft blanket folded over the side of the sofa, the soft toy on the coffee table.

Their lives had changed – and would continue to change, and even though some of the changes made Bella's mind boggle at the fact that she had almost made up her mind to pursue her Masters degree in Education. Edward supported her decision and he had already spoken about cutting back on his hours. Both he and Ned were discussing taking another family doctor into their practice and perhaps expanding it into a wellness centre and eventually a free clinic. They wanted to eventually have a pediatrician, an ob/gyn and even a psychologist or a councilor.

Bella made her way upstairs and walked into their room.

"Everything okay, love?" Edward's sleep filled voice broke into her thoughts.

He pulled the cover aside and Bella quickly shed her gown and then with an impish grin she quickly pulled off her sleep pants and T-shirt.

Edward's eyes widened and suddenly he wasn't so sleepy anymore and he was sporting wood.

"What-"

Bella crawled over the bed and pushed him down onto his back, "Shhhh, don't make a noise, baby, you don't want to wake Anna Beth do you?" she said in a husky voice.

Edward swallowed thickly as he shook his head.

"Good – now let's see what you are hiding here… oh! Edward!" Bella let out a startled laugh as Edward caught her around her waist and in one movement; he had impaled her on his hard dick that was already weeping in anticipation.

"I love you!" Bella cried out as Edward's finger flicked against her clit.

"Always." Edward answered.

=====HS=====

**A/N: I don't know how to say goodbye to these two/three. I just want to keep going because there is so much to say but this is the last official chapter of HOPE SPRINGS. I am almost finished writing the epilogue. BUT if there is a future take that you would like to see or an outtake, please let me know.**

**Thank you for reading my little story – to think that when this began, I was merely taking a break from PEOPLE LIKE US and now here we are.**

**The epilogue will be out before Christmas.**

**All my love,**

**Michele**


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The story line of HOPE SPRINGS belongs to me.

**HOPE SPRINGS**

Chapter 40

Epilogue – Never Goodbye…

=====HS=====

_10 YEARS LATER_

Bella said goodbye to Mrs. Hanson, "Of course Mrs. Hanson, you may call me at any time during office hours…. Very well, thank you again, good bye."

Bella sighed softly. _Another satisfied customer!_ She smiled as she stood up and stretched on her stockinged feet.

Edward teased her all the time about walking about bare feet. She was quite well known for it at school and the other teachers often teased her.

She walked over to a side board to pour herself a glass of water when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Bella remembered to quickly slip her shoes on just as the door opened. She almost groaned when she saw Deputy Banner standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to disturb you, Principle Cullen, but there has been an incident in the lunch room. I brought the perpetrators in to see you."

He glared to his right and pointed towards Bella, "In you go and explain yourselves." He looked at Bella again with a sympathetic smile, "I can't get a word out of either of them." He said before he gently pushed the two children forward and closed the door.

Bella stared at her daughter and son with a mixture of concern, exasperation and frustration.

"Anna Beth? Ryder? What's going on? Take a seat. Are you okay?" she asked as her eyes searched her children for injuries.

Ryder Charles Cullen was tall for seven years old. He was almost the same height as his ten-year-old sister and he was another carbon copy of his father.

While Anna Beth only shared Edward's coppery tones, Ryder had the signature Cullen smirk, strut and mannerisms down pat and it showed when he scowled at his sister and ran his hand across the back of his neck as he blew out a frustrated breath.

"Mom…" he began, but Anna Beth stepped forward and met Bella's gaze steadily, "It's my fault Mom. He was only sticking up for me." She said.

Bella raised her eyebrows, "Why was he standing up for you?"

Anna Beth let out a hiss and her blue eyes snapped in anger, "Ask Quill Black!" she spat out.

Bella bit her lip, "Why are you and Quill fighting again? You and he are the best of friends."

Anna Beth flopped into one of the two chairs that faced Bella's desk, "Not anymore! Oh! You wouldn't understand!" she said dramatically as she tossed her long copper hair over her shoulder.

"He kissed her!" Ryder blurted out angrily. He knew all about what to do when other boys kissed sisters – his cousins Jed and Brady had told him all about it. You had to protect your sisters and not let any boy come 'sniffing' around them.

He didn't quite understand what that meant, but Jed knew everything about everything and so if that's what he said, then it must be true!

"RYDER CHARLES CULLEN – I HATE YOU!"

Bella was a little shocked by Ryder's comment, but she stood up quickly, "Okay, that is enough, both of you! Now, you will sit in the corner," she glared at them when Ryder sighed, "and you will wait until your father comes to fetch you – now move!"

Both children knew enough to know that when their mother got that narrowed eyed glare in her eyes and her mouth wasn't smiling, then they had better listen, and so they moved over to the small table and chairs in the corner of the room while Bella sighed and she opened her door and looked at her assistant, "Tammy, can you send Quill Black to my office and get hold of Edward and Jacob Black and ask them to come in as soon as possible, please?"

Tammy nodded as she hid her grin. The entire school was talking about how Quill Black had stormed across the lunch room when he saw Michael Davis, who was only eight years old, put a flower next to Anna Beth's plate, and without a word, Quill had pulled Anna Beth to her feet and had kissed her.

Quill was a good looking boy, tall with hair as black and shiny as a raven's wing, with his mother's large soulful brown eyes and his father's beautiful smile. He was popular and easy going, except when it came to his best friend, Anna Beth Cullen. He was fiercely protective over her and everyone knew it. Tammy almost felt sorry for him when she thought of how Edward Cullen was going to react to this latest turn of events.

Tammy quickly phoned Jacob Black and he said that he would be there soon. Edward was in consultation, but Dale Yorkie, who had taken over the position of receptionist at the _Hope Springs Wellness Clinic_, had assured her that she would make sure that Doctor Cullen would get the message.

=====HS=====

There had been a lot of changes in Hope Springs over the past ten years.

Miss Tessa and Arturo Vicenza had gotten married six years before after Arturo's wife; Maria had passed away from cancer the year before.

Jane Newton had bought the ballet school over and she ran it with her wife, Gina.

Darla and Randall Wilber had gotten married and Randall had surprised everyone when he had opened an IT company and it had become very successful.

Jasper had retired from the Police Force and he had taken up his private practice full time.

Eric Yorkie was the 'new' Police Chief.

Brandon and Megan Hale had returned to Hope Springs upon their retirement and both were practicing out of the Wellness Clinic along with Jasper.

Paul Lahote had taken over the running of Blue Bonnet Farm, once Esme had been forced to step down after she had a mild stroke five years before. Paul managed the farm along with Jared Cameron, Collin Littlesea and Brady Fuller. The Cullen's had sold each of the staff a number of shares in the business, which would ensure the continued running of the business.

Seth Clearwater had eventually moved on and he was currently the Headmaster of a prestigious school in Carolina. Bella had completed her Masters and then her Doctorate in Education and the school district board had been only too happy to offer her the position of Principal of Hope Springs four years before.

Even when she fell pregnant with her and Edward's youngest child, Madeleine Esme Cullen three and half years before, they had been only too happy to allow Bella to set up a new daycare centre so that Maddy was looked after when Bella went back to work.

Carlisle and Esme had convinced Edward and Bella to buy the main house after Esme's stroke which they did only after Edward had insisted that they build a cottage on or near the main house.

Carlisle had readily agreed and so a plot of forest land had been cleared about a half a mile from the main house and a three bed roomed cottage had been erected. There was a great room, which consisted of a kitchen, living room and dining room. An office/library was Carlisle's pride and joy and a bedroom suite with a built on bathroom and dressing room completed the ground floor.

The second story consisted of a large dorm bedroom for their grandsons and another bedroom for their granddaughters with two bathrooms and a playroom/rec room.

Esme had a small sunroom off the kitchen, and a small vegetable garden was planted on one side of the house.

In almost no time at all, Esme had all sorts of flowers growing around the gingerbread style cottage, with its wraparound porch.

At 72 and 70 years old respectively, both Carlisle and Esme were still very active and vital members of the community. They jogged every morning before Esme went into her store, which Makenna had taken over but Esme still helped out each day.

Jed had graduated the previous year and he was studying Agriculture at the University of Vermont, while Emma would soon be leaving for Yale, where she had won a full scholarship. She wanted to follow in her grandfather and uncle's footsteps to become a doctor.

Brianna and Riley had been married in his father's church six years before and Riley was now the associate pastor of _Hope Springs Congregational Church_. He had completed his degree in Human Resources before he had felt his true calling to become a pastor. Brianna had studied under many great chefs before she had married Riley and she had bought _'La Bella Vita'_, Arturo's restaurant, and Arturo still went in to assist her in the kitchen. Brianna had given birth to a little boy, Thomas and then a little girl, Amanda. They had bought Edward's old house.

The little town of Hope Springs continued to grow and flourish with each passing year.

=====HS=====

Bella had just finished sending an email when there was another knock on her door.

Tammy, her assistant stuck her head around the corner with an apologetic smile, "we had a disturbance in Pre K and Teacher Sandy sent the culprit to see you."

Bella bit back a smile and she leaned back in her chair.

"Luckily, I have just filled the last spot for the fair, so I have some time on my hands!" Bella said in a mock stern voice as she winked at Tammy.

She ignored the two giggles from the corner of her office.

"Send the young rascal in!"

Tammy stepped to one side and looked down at someone that stood to the other side of the doorway, "In you go missy, don't keep Principal Cullen waiting!"

A giggle sounded just before a tiny chocolate haired imp in ballet attire streaked across the office, "That's _Mommy printpal Cullen_, Teacher Tammy!" Maddy stated in her singsong voice before she climbed right onto Bella's lap – as much as she could.

At five months pregnant, Bella wasn't able to cuddle Maddy as closely as the little girl liked.

Bella heard the door closed and looked down at the little face that was almost a carbon copy of her own.

Madeleine Esme Cullen was three and a half years old and she was the most adorable little girl.

"What have you been up to, Miss Cullen? Were you eating the play dough again? Or did you do 'wall art' this time. Mommy can't always protect you if you get up to mischief, Maddy, you know that." Bella said as she brushed Maddy's riotous curls out of her eyes. No matter how she secured her youngest child's hair, by recess it always managed to come loose. Bella had threatened to cut it on many occasions but Edward had forbidden it.

Maddy's bottom lip pushed out in a delightful pout as she patted her mother's swollen belly, "Hello baby, it's me, _Mad'lin 'May Tullen_, Mama's mad at me." She whispered loudly enough for her older brother and sister to snicker at her.

Bella shook her head at her older children, not wanting them to encourage her, but Maddy heard them and her head shot up.

"Ryder! Annie! Huh ah! We all in trouble now!" she said as she wiggled off Bella's lap and ran over to her siblings.

She hugged them both and sat down on Anna Beth's lap as she told them about her day and how she had only wanted to 'play with Whiskers and Mitten's, their class rabbits, but Teacher Sandy had been angry with her when they had hopped out of the classroom.

Ryder and Anna Beth laughed as they listened to Madeleine's story. They adored their little sister and just like Edward, she could do no wrong in their eyes.

Bella rolled her eyes as she wondered how she was going to apologize to the pre K teacher for her daughter's latest antics.

Tammy told Bella that Quill Black was waiting for her outside and a few minutes later Jacob arrived.

Bella led him and Quill into an adjoining meeting room where she quickly described the day's events. Jacob's eyes twinkled as he listened to his son's red-faced explanation of how he and Anna Beth had an 'understanding' and he had become angry when she had not thrown the other boy's flower away.

Bella bit her lip and she waited until Quill sat in sulky silence once more before she spoke.

"Quill, regardless of what sort of friend you and Anna Beth are; you can't go pushing other kids around just because you are upset. Now, I would like you to apologize to Anna Beth and Ryder and then you and Ryder are going to spend this Saturday afternoon weeding the front of the school grounds. It will give you time to think about what friendships mean and perhaps you will think before you act again?" Quill pushed his hair out of his eyes as he looked at Bella and she realized that the thirteen year old was becoming a very handsome young man.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Cullen, I would never hurt Anna or Ryder." He said and Bella smiled at him gently, "I know that Quill. You and Anna Beth are best friends and I think that you need to work this out."

The boy nodded before he quietly excused himself to deliver his apology.

Jake looked at Bella with a wry grin, "Edward's going to have my head for this," he said.

Bella chuckled as she tucked her hair behind her ear and she patted her stomach, "Tell me about it! He already thinks that he should put an electric fence around our house. He was counting on the fact that Anna still thinks that all boys besides your son are 'yuk'."

She walked Jacob out and said goodbye to Quill just as Edward walked into the reception area.

"Hey Love, I got your message, are you okay?" he asked as he crossed to Bella and took her in his arms.

Bella smiled, "Of course I'm okay, babe." She pulled away from him and leveled her most severe glare at him, "Your children however, are another matter! You are going to have to discipline them this time, Edward, or else we are going to be bailing them out of jail in the not too distant future!" Bella slapped his arm when he let out a bark of laughter.

"I mean it! Ryder listens to Jed and Brady and does whatever they tell him to and Anna Beth needs to learn to keep her hand to herself – and as for Maddy, well she set the rabbits loose again!" Bella felt hormonal tears well up in her eyes as the words tumbled out of her mouth and Edward quickly got rid of his smirk.

"I'm sorry that they are giving you a hard time, Love. Where are they?"

Bella pointed to her office, but she stopped him from walking into the office, "I don't want you to overreact when Anna tells you that Quill Black kissed her.."

Edward growled, "He what? That little" Bella quickly put her hand over his mouth and glared at him.

"Now, that's what I'm talking about – you can't go off like that, baby! They are children and they are best friends and yes, Quill overstepped, but he apologized and you can't go all 'caveman' on Jake!"

Edward rolled his eyes at her and walked in to see his three children sitting quietly at the table in the corner.

Anna Beth was reading to Ryder and Madeleine and the younger two were listening with rapt attention.

"Daddy!" Maddy shouted as she spotted her father.

Bella went to the bathroom and when she walked back into her office, Edward had all three children lined up in front of her desk.

Bella had to harden her heart as she sat in her chair. Her heart melted at their cuteness, although she knew that they used it in their own favor.

Bella raised her eyebrows and stared at them.

Edward leaned forward and whispered loudly in Madeleine's ear, "What do you have to say to Mommy, Maddy?"

Maddy's eyes filled with tears as she bit her lip, "Sowwy Mommy. I won't let the wabbits fwee again, I pwomise. Even if they ask me to." She whispered.

Bella nodded and she held out her arms and hugged the little girl, "I love you Madeleine, but tonight, you are going to help your brother and sister in the kitchen after dinner and you are going to say you are sorry to Teacher Sandy, okay?"

Maddy nodded and then she ran to her father's waiting arms.

"Sorry Mommy, I won't hit Quill again." Ryder said before he walked over and kissed his mother's cheek. Bella reveled in the feeling of her son's hug.

"Sorry Mom." Bella met Anna Beth's stormy gaze and she nodded, "Anna Beth, we will talk a little more later on, okay?"

After telling her family goodbye, Bella spent the rest of the work day returning calls and completing her admin duties before she walked to her Grade 8 class to teach English.

She still loved to teach and it was the one indulgence that she allowed herself, besides her writing club.

When she got home that afternoon, Bella was greeted at the door by Apples and Dimples. She patted Apples' head and knelt down next to the elderly dog, "How are you old girl, hmm?". Apples smiled at her charge. She and Roscoe had protected the growing family for twelve years before Roscoe had closed his eyes for the last time.

Dimples was an impudent pup that Edward had bought the year before and Apples was glad for the puppy's playfulness that helped to pass the long days without her best friend.

Bella stroked Apples' soft fur as she whispered gentle greetings to her.

"Hey Love! I was wondering what was taking you so long to come inside," Edward said as he rounded the corner.

He helped Bella to her feet and kissed her tenderly, "How are you feeling?" he asked as he gently rubbed her stomach.

Bella rolled her eyes, "Well, considering that one of us did not get the _vasectomy_ that he was supposed to and _this_," she patted her belly, "is our little reward, I am doing fine! But I will say this, Edward Anthony Cullen, this is the last one, do you hear me? I am too old to be giving birth and having babies!"

Edward just wrapped his arms around her and peppered her neck with kisses until she was breathless and offering her lips to him, "You are not too old, Isabella Cullen! Thirty-two is not too old. Dear God, Woman, you take my breath away every day!"

Bella wrapped her arms around Edward's neck as she blushed, "Yeah?"

Edward dropped a kiss behind her ear and he chuckled as he felt her shiver, "Every day, my Love. Now, I was thinking, what if Mom and Dad took the kids tonight…"

The rest of his sentence was lost as Ryder raced into the kitchen, "Hey Mom! Grandpa Garrett and Uncle Pete are coming to visit next week! Granny Kate is on the phone and she wanted to tell you, but we are going fishing, isn't that cool? Hurry Mom, she needs to talk to you!"

With that he turned to Edward, "Daddy, can we go camping…"

Bella walked to the cordless phone in the kitchen and heard her eldest daughter talking to her 'grandma Kate' with excitement.

Garret and Kate had become wonderful 'foster' parents to Bella and they had assumed the role of grandparents with enthusiasm. Although they still lived in Arizona, they made sure that they saw Bella and her family at least one or twice a year.

Esme and Carlisle readily agreed to take the children for the night and later as Dimples chase moths on the front porch and Apples looked on in approval, Edward slowly undressed his wife.

Despite Bella's pleading, Edward took his time to kiss and nibble every newly uncovered area.

"Edward, please, I need you!"

Edward chuckled darkly, "Not until you agree that you are the most sexiest woman in the world!" his last words were muffled as he licked a path over Bella's stomach towards the juncture of her thighs.

"Okay! Okay! I'm beautiful! I'm the most gorgeous creature you have ever seen!"

Edward crawled up the bed and he quickly pulled Bella up so that she was sitting astride his hips, his almost painful erection teasing her entrance.

All laughter died as they stared into each other's eyes, "I thank God every day for bringing you into my life, Bella."

Bella smiled as she braced herself on Edward's broad chest, "I thank God that he kept you safe for me. He knew that I was coming and he made sure that you waited for me."

Edward smiled as he lowered her onto his stomach.

Later Bella lay facing the large bay window in their bedroom. She smiled as she felt their son kick and Edward's hands soothed the baby.

"Hush now little one. Mommy needs her rest, okay?" he cooed

Edward kissed her bare shoulder as he hummed quietly.

Life wasn't perfect but it was perfect for them.

Where once upon a time she had been a young, lost and abandoned girl, she was now a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. Where she had been alone, now her family grew every year, as there were marriages or births.

Bella nuzzled into her pillow as Edward spooned behind her and she closed her eyes and she let out a sigh of contentment.

Life didn't get much better than this.

**THE END**

=====HS=====

**A/N: I want to thank each and every one of you for reading, reviewing (almost 3000 reviews between ff & twcs!) and recommending this story. I didn't realize how invested in Hope Springs I had become, until it was almost time to say goodbye. I would love to do a few futurtakes, so if there is anything in particular that you would like, please let me know. **

**A Family like Ours will be up and running soon, so keep me on authors alert!**

**I would like to wish you and your families a very merry Christmas, and a wonderful and awesome 2013.**

**All my love, hugs and kisses,**

**Michele**


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